Five Star Stories Side Stories
by S.Hagen
Summary: Set in the universe of the Joker Cluster, Elenoin Karimon flees a war torn country pursued by those that would do her harm
1. Chapter 1

Five Star Stories Side Stories

Side Story 1 of 2

By Shawn Hagen

**Based on Characters and Concepts created by Mamoru Nagano**

Breath coming in short shallow gasps, muscles aching, blood pounding in her ears, Elenoin ran through the jungles of Hagooda. She was still many kilometres from the boarder of Colus. Too far.

Somewhere behind her were a group of men, chasing after her. Tristan was with them. She had no desire to meet up with him.

Her long skirt caught on a branch, almost tripping her. She managed to keep her balance, kept moving forward causing her skirt to rip. A long strip of the light green skirt was left behind. No wonder they were having so little trouble tracking her. She wished her father had not restricted her to dresses, and impractical ones at that. What she would not have given for even a riding dress.

She should not have run off so soon, even an hour of preparation might have made a difference. Fortunately she had thought to bring a pair of night-vision glasses with her. It would have been nearly impossible to run through the dense growth without them.

From behind her she heard the snap of a branch. They were fast. Her reasonable lead had been worn away in only a few hours.

Her hand dropped to the bag she wore over her shoulder, sliding inside of it, her hand closing on a cylindrical object.

_The grass was still wet with morning dew; the sun had only just begun to chase away the chill of morning. The spadd in her hand felt heavy, a sheen of perspiration covered her forehead._

Elenoin released the object in the bag, unwilling to draw it forth. There were better ways to deal with her follower. She was sure of it.

Movement out of the corner of her eye gave her a moment of warning. She leapt into the air, twisting, her feet hitting the trunk of tree, several meters up. She kicked off again, leaping higher once more, her skirt billowing out around her.

The man followed her, almost matching her leaps.

She continued up, then reached out to grab a branch, swinging around, changing her direction, keeping most of her momentum. It had been too long since she had been able to train in the Salle de Armes and she missed it.

Her skirt caught on a branch bringing her to an abrupt halt. She lost control of her descent, pitching forward, eighteen meters above the jungle floor. This might hurt, Elenoin thought.

The material of her skirt ripped. She was suddenly in control of the situation again. While she was off the course she had hoped for, it was not too bad. She lashed out with her foot as she passed the man coming after her. She did not have much weight behind the kick but the top of her foot impacted hard with the bridge of his nose. There was a wet, crunching sound.

She almost landed poorly, but a well executed roll brought her to her feet without any injury. The man fell to the ground hard a few meters from her. He did not get up.

Elenoin did not bother to check the man's condition. She took off at a run through the thick jungle, the dark green cloak she wore helping to hide the lighter material of the dress she wore.

The ground vegetation that had been tearing the bottom of the long skirt for some time was now scratching at her shins. It was a minor pain but it and all the others--hunger, thirst, and the menstrual cramps--were adding up. She wished she could stop.

It had only been two days ago that the palace had burnt, that Queen Almemaios had died. She had trouble believing it at times. Two days since her father and younger brother had been torn apart by the mobs that had stormed the palace.

She wondered if Nathan had been with them, would they have survived? Perhaps. Maybe her father had been right when he had told her that she would be the destruction of the family.

Mind occupied, it took Elenoin several seconds to realise that the almost oppressive weight of the jungle canopy was gone. She was out in the open, under the stars.

She let her steps slow and stopped in the middle of the large clearing. The ground was burnt and charred tree trunks lay here and there. She noted several craters in front of her. Bomb or artillery she guessed.

One of the battles must have taken place here, she thought as she looked around. She could almost picture the Mortarheads crashing through the area, perhaps infantry battling around the behemoths' feet. Then the artillery would have started falling. She shivered thinking about it, the horror that must have been felt at that moment.

Behind her, carried by the wind, the sound of pursuit came to her again. More than just one this time. She began to run. She reached the jungle again and was a few meters into the vegetation when the futility of it all hit her.

Whoever Tristan had tracking her were very good. They had cut her lead, which had started out as hours, to just minutes, if even that long. She was tired, not well prepared for a chase through the jungle and just plain angry. Tristan had only one reason to follow after her and she was damned if she was going to let him achieve his goal.

She pulled the bag from her shoulder and used the cloak to wrap it up and then hid the parcel in the underbrush. She took several seconds to memorise the area around her to ensure she could find it again. That done she turned around and followed her trail back out of the jungle, into the clearing. Head held high she walked into the middle of the open space and waited. She took her night-vision glasses off, letting her eyes adjust to the starlight.

She remembered her father telling her--when she had been younger, before what had happened to Nathan--that she was nobility. A member of the upper class. That she should always show that. Most of all she remembered her mother telling her to never show fear, a brave front, even if paper thin, was the best way to avoid violence.

A man ran out into the clearing and stopped when he saw her. Another came out several meters to the right of the first. He stopped as well.

Elenoin recognised them as Tristan's personal trackers. They knew the jungle very well. It was little wonder they had been able to cut her lead down. It appeared they were armed with small arms. Odd for hunters, but considering the current state of Hagooda it was hardly surprising.

Three more came out, and all of them began to walk towards her. It took her a moment to realise that they were wary of her, perhaps even frightened. It came as a surprise to her. She could not remember anyone ever being frightened of her before.

They spread out, surrounding her in a semi-circle, none around her back. All of them could fire with little worry of hitting their companions.

Movement at the edge of the clearing got caught attention. Tristan. In the light, almost white clothes he wore, he stood out. Tall, long blonde hair, fair skin, no, it was hard not to pick him out. Several of his trackers were with him, as well as two other men. Tristan stopped when he saw her, then started towards her.

Elenoin did not turn away when their eyes met.

"Brave as well as pretty Tris-san, you didn't tell us that," one of the men with him said.

"Spirited perhaps Calin-san," Tristan told his companion.

"All the better." Calin reached into his pocket and removed a silver flask.

"She is beautiful," the younger of Tristan's companions said.

"Oh, she certainly is. You know that Elen-chan don't you?" he called out, louder than he needed to, his tone patronising.

She said nothing, simply stared back at him, wishing he would walk faster instead of that lazy saunter.

Elenoin was beautiful, though a bit on the short side, odd considering both her parents had been tall. She wore her long brown hair in a single braid--her run through the jungle had fouled it with twigs and leaves. Her eyes were large, expressive, and brown with green flecks--perhaps her best feature. She had a slim build, mostly muscle.

"You lead us on a quite the chase didn't you my little deer." He reached out to stroke her cheek. She pulled back.

"I have no idea where Otosan hid the accounts," she told him.

"Your point?" Tristan asked, a little surprised.

"All you ever wanted was my family's fortune. Well I can't help you. This chase was for nothing."

"I see." Tristan smiled, then laughed. His companions laughed as well.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Oh, just the fact that all this work was for naught," he told her. "But I'm not sure if I believe you. You'll have to convince me."

"Tristan-sama you know perfectly well..."

"Oh come come my dear. Do you really wish to have this conversation out in the middle of this jungle? Let's be civilised. Tokk, Dalin, get the tent set up," he called to two of the hunters.

Elenoin stood and waited while the hunters began to unpack the frame for a large tent. After a few minutes several more hunters arrived. There were escorting a low speed digg that several servants were aboard.

The large tent went up quickly. Tristan kept looking over at Elenoin, smiling. Calin was drinking from his flask, sharing it with the younger man.

Once the tent was up Tristan held the flap up so Elenoin could enter. She walked in. The floor had been covered with thick, soft rugs. A heater in the corner was chasing away the chill of the evening. Several pots had been placed upon the heater and steam was beginning to rise from them. Lights had been strung from the ceiling.

"Now my dear Elenoin-san, convince me that you cannot give me your family fortunes." He reached out to take the flask from Calin.

"We both know my Otosan hated me. He did not trust me. He thought me useless. Do you think he would tell me the codes to the accounts?"

"Probably not." Tristan handed the flask back to Calin.

"Oto would have known. He was Otosan's heir after..." She stopped.

"After Nathan-san's death, yes, yes." He waved his hand, not looking at her. "But you were always a smart one Elenoin-chan, smart enough that you denied your rights and kept your Otosama from killing you. You might have known."

"If I had the accounts do you think I would be running alone, through this jungle?"

"You make a good point."

"For all I know all that might be left are the properties in Hagooda. Otosan was gambling quite a bit you know."

"Well, you have convinced me." Tristan nodded as he began to unbutton his jacket.

"Then you won't mind if I leave." She started towards the exit.

"Oh, but I will." He moved to block her way. "Tell me, why do you think I was after your Otosama's money?"

"You always have been," she told him. "That was why you befriended Nathan, and Otosan and when you realised that wouldn't work you started courting me."

"True, but I think you are underestimating your own charms little one. I wanted your Otosama's money, I wanted you, and I put up with his demands and your little games to get both. Now, it seems unlikely I'll get his money but I no longer have to wait to marry you to have what I truly want. And I don't have to put up with your childish games." He reached out and grabbed her chin.

"You make me sick." She pulled away from him. "There was no way that I would have married you. Now let me go."

"You're no longer the daughter of a powerful man, you have no family to protect you."

Calin and the other man suddenly grabbed her arms, pulling them away from her body. Elenoin dropped, hoping to break their grips. Their hands were like vices however, and they easily held her up. She tried pulling her arms in next but they were stronger than she was, or maybe it was just because there were two of them. She began to kick and thrash, hoping to get free. It did not work.

"Fight as long as you want little one, it won't help." Tristan laughed.

Elenoin stopped, she got her feet under her and stood straight.

"Touch me and I'll kill you," she told him.

"So, your Otosan didn't break you." He walked up to her and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Of course, he could have tired harder. Still the warrior." He grabbed the neckline of her dress and ripped it down to her hips.

Elenoin screamed and kicked out again, putting as much force into the attack as she could. Tristan had expected it--he had dealt with women in that position before. He stepped back and grabbed one of her feet. One of his trackers grabbed the other. Together they slammed her to the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her.

One of the trackers took over on the leg Tristan had been holding. The two men pulled her legs apart, Tristan moved between them. He removed a slim throwing knife from a wrist sheath and leaned forward, placing it against her neck.

Elenoin stopped her struggling.

"Be a good girl and this might not hurt," he told her. His free hand tore at her dress. The material bit into her before it ripped. He grabbed her underwear and tore them off.

"How filthy," he said, noticing the sanitary pads. "Not that it matters." He pulled his spadd from inside his jacket and smacked it into her stomach. "You know, you might even like this." He ran the butt of the weapon down her stomach and between her legs then shoved it into her.

* * *

Elenoin forced the moan down as she pulled her naked, battered body along the rugs towards the edge of the tent. Around her were the sleeping forms of some of Tristan's trackers. He and his two companions had left a short time ago with the rest. He had promised her he would be back. 

He had used her, hard and cruel. He had let his companions use her, then the trackers, then the servants. He had even threatened to kill a few of them if they did not participate in the gang rape.

Rape. A small word for such a horrid thing. Something deep inside her had been shattered. Nothing could ever be the same again. She should have been stronger. She should have tried to stop them. She had been so stupid.

Her whole body hurt, Tristan had beaten her, as had many of the others. She was sure some ribs had been broken and the sharp pain in her abdomen suggested internal damage. Her head hurt. She seemed to remember someone kicking her head. Someone had put a heated knife blade across her right thigh. She was bleeding from her vagina and rectum. She wished she could die.

The sides of the tent were not staked down so she was able to crawl under them. The rough ground tore at her as she pulled herself over it, opening a number of scabbed over cuts.

Her father was suddenly beside her, pacing slowly to match her crawl.

"Didn't I tell you that you would end up like this you little slut?" he said to her.

"You said something like that," she whispered as she continued to crawl.

"You always thought you could simply do as you wanted. You were careless and clumsy and stupid. You deserved this."

"Go away!" she hissed as she continued to crawl.

He said nothing more and when she again looked up he was gone.

"Glad you're dead," she muttered. Even through the haze of pain she felt surprised at the sentiment.

It seemed to take forever to reach the jungle again. She crawled along the ground, pulling herself under the vegetation. It took her a moment to realise that she had come back to the place where she had hidden her bag. There were medical supplies in the bag, painkillers. All she had to do was get it. She tried to get onto her knees but fell.

"It's hopeless," she cried.

"So it seems," a familiar voice said.

"Mama?" Elenoin looked up.

Her mother was seated on the stump of a tree, looking down at her daughter. She was tapping the butt of her spadd against her boot.

"It hurts," Elenoin cried, reaching towards her mother.

"I know, but you have to drive it down. You promised to kill that bastard. Use that hatred."

"I can't," she sobbed.

"Elenoin-chan, I made ten big mistakes in my life, five of them were marrying your father. I did not think raising weak children was among those mistakes. Now get up!" Her tone was commanding.

Elenoin steeled herself and pushed herself up to her knees. She moved forward to where she had hidden the bag and pulled it and the cloak out. After unwrapping it, she opened the bag and rifled through it. Her fingers closed on the medpack and she pulled it out triumphantly.

Her fingers shook as she unsealed the kit. She fumbled out a strip of painkillers and popped three out from the foil into her hand. She put them into her mouth and dry swallowed them. After putting the painkillers away she removed the stimulant syringe.

Elenoin bit down on the needle-cap and pulled it from the needle. She reversed the syringe and then pushed it into her upper arm. A moment later she pushed the plunger in and fire was rushing through her veins. Her heart rate shot up, her pupils dilated, the pain faded as if it never had been.

She pulled the spent syringe from her arm and tossed it aside. After taking a deep breath she struggled to her feet. The bag's strap went over her shoulder and she pulled the cloak on, the layer of clothing giving her a sense of comfort.

Getting to her feet had torn something inside her. She could feel the warm, wet sensation of blood, running down the inside of her thighs. She ignored it. The small medpack did not have anything in it that could do much for her. No use worrying over something she could do nothing about.

In her earlier flight she had not given much thought to stealth but she had not known what was really following her. She picked her path carefully, doing her best not to leave a trail. The sun would be up shortly. The farther she was from the camp, the better.

At least I'm not leaving a trail of ripped clothing this time, she thought. Only a trail of blood.

* * *

Tristan aimed a kick at the tracker lying at his feet. It connected with hard with the man's abdomen.

"Should we go get her?" Calin asked as he filled his silver flask from a bottle he had found in the supplies on the digg.

"I don't feel like wasting my time on damaged goods." Tristan turned away from the tracker and walked over to Calin.

"Even if you damaged them yourself?"

"Especially then." He routed through the pannier on the digg until he found a bottle of wine. "Still, she could prove to be an embarrassment if she survives, unlikely as that is."

"What about her Otosan's fortune." Calin capped his flask and put it into his jacket pocket.

"I said she was intelligent, but still she was rather dull. She never used her mind all that much." He pulled the cork from the bottle. "Once everything calms down in Hagooda I'll be able to find out what happened to it." He put the bottle to his lips and upended it. A trail of the red wine ran from the corner of his mouth and stained the collar of his white shirt.

"So are you going to do anything?" his younger companion asked from where he sat in the digg's passenger seat.

"Of course Dennis-kun, of course." He smiled then walked over to the tracker who was still lying on the ground. "Dennis-kun, that extra spadd you carry please."

"Why?"

"You'll see." Tristan took another drink from the wine bottle.

Dennis reached inside his jacket and removed a spadd, much plainer than the one he wore at his waist. He threw it to Tristan. Tristan grabbed it out of the air with one hand. He fumbled for a moment and had to drop the wine bottle to avoid dropping the spadd.

The energy blade sprung from the weapon a moment later and the man on the ground pulled himself into a tighter ball, as if doing so could protect him from the blade of energy. Then the blade was gone and Tristan had dropped the spadd onto the man. It bounced off his shoulder and landed on the ground near his face. "Be a good fellow and go hunt Elenoin-dono down." He bent down to pick up the bottle of wine, it was nearly empty, the wine had stained the ground. "Cut off her head when you find her and bring it to me." He finished the wine left in the bottle than tossed it aside.

"Let's go gentleman, we have work to do." He turned and walked towards the digg.

* * *

The sunlight filtered through the jungle canopy, giving everything a green tinge. A waterfall came over a cliff, falling several meters to the rocks where it splashed up. Rainbows were formed in the spray. A short distance from the waterfall the stream widened and became deeper, forming a pool.

Elenoin stepped into the water, shivering slightly. It was a little cooler than the air temperature. She walked forward, sinking deeper into the pool, letting the water wash the blood, dried sperm, spit, and wine from her. The deepest part of the pool came up to her breasts. She took a deep breath and then bent her knees until the water closed over her head.

Holding her breath she reached down to scoop up handfuls of the fine sand and used it to scrub at her body, careful not to open any of the closed cuts. Still she scrubbed as hard as she could, hoping to remove the taint that she felt on herself. It did not help.

Finally, her chest tight, the sound of her heart loud in her ears, she surfaced and gulped in breaths of air.

Leaning back in the water she let it support her as much as it could, which was not much. Muscle was no where near as buoyant as fat. Still, she did not have to work too hard to stay afloat. One of the benefits of the female form.

Elenoin wanted to stay there, the water was clean and she felt it purified her. She did not want to walk any more; she just wanted to float. She was going to have to get out of the water and keep moving. Without help she was not sure how much longer she could survive.

Putting her feet back on the sandy floor of the stream, she walked back to the bank and retrieved her bag and cloak. She pulled the bags strap over her shoulder then put the cloak on.

Stepping back into the river she began to walk, close to the bank where the water was shallow. With luck it would help to make her trail that much harder to follow.

After several hours of walking the stream entered into a fast flowing river. Elenoin backtracked until she found a slope of rocky ground she had passed earlier. She carefully pulled herself up onto it, doing her best not to open any of the closed wounds. She pulled the cloak around her so that it might absorb any blood.

It was not the external bleeding that would kill her she decided as she crossed the rocks, it was the internal bleeding. The right side of her abdomen was a dark blue and green patch and while the pain had become dull it was constant.

She stopped just short of the jungle and opened her bag, removing the medpack. Almost all the pain tablets were gone. She popped one of the remaining three from the foil and took it. The medpack was not really much, just a number of drugs meant to keep one alive so they could reach medical help on their own. The makers assumed that such help would be close by though, or there would be someone to help.

Packing the kit away she pressed into the jungle, continuing on.

* * *

Darkness had fallen once again. Under the canopy Elenoin could barely see more than a meter in front of her. She moved slowly, wishing for the night-vision glasses that had been left behind in her escape. They would not have allowed her to move much faster but being able to see would have given her a sense of comfort.

With only the cloak the jungle was uncomfortably cool. Gooseflesh had risen up along her arms and legs and she shivered uncontrollably.

How far was it to the border? And what would she do when she got there? The bag she carried held the access codes to accounts, promissory notes, bank notes, and a thick sheaf of bearer bonds.

It all represented close to ninety six percent of her family's fortune. The other four percent was land, real estate and other concrete items in Hagooda. She had never realised how wealthy her father, and mother, had been until she cracked the codes on the accounts. It was fortunate that Tristan had believed her. At least she had denied him something.

She drove the thoughts of Tristan and the rape from her mind, thoughts of what the future held, how far she had travelled and had yet to travel were beaten down. All that was left was the drive to put one foot in front of another, using the occasional glimpse of stars through the canopy to keep her on her course.

Later, it might have been hours, it might have been minutes--she as not sure--Elenoin heard a faint sound, perhaps a twig snapping. She dropped her hand into the bag; it wrapped around the cylindrical object within it.

_"Elen-chan, catch," Nathan called, throwing something at her._

_Elenoin looked up from the book she was reading. An object was flying towards her, twisting end over end. She lifted her hand, waited until it passed by, then closed her fingers on it. No clumsy fumbling for her._

_"What's this?" She looked at the spadd in her hand._

_"It's a spadd idiot," he said condescendingly._

_"I know that." She could not help but to get a little flustered. "What is it for?"_

_"A bit of sparring."_

_"It doesn't have a stun setting."_

_"Surely you are skilled enough to fight with live blades?" His tone taunted her._

_"Of course I am." Elenoin got up from the bench under the tree. The book fell from her lap, landing on the grass. She brushed her riding skirts smooth. "Let's go."_

For a moment her fingers refused to close on the object in the bag, like it could burn her. Then what had happened the night before came back to her, an image so intense she almost cried out. She closed her fingers around the spadd and pulled it free.

She would die before she let anything like that happen to her again. More importantly she would kill.

Looking around she saw a place that might suit her needs. She could only see so much, however. She crossed a slightly open area and found a tree to put her back to. Closing her eyes she fought to control her breathing.

No time for pain, she thought, ignore it. No time for fear, or doubt, or anything beyond the feel of the spadd in her hand and her enemy.

The sounds got closer, someone moving quickly, but not too quickly. A good tracking pace she decided. Only one person, as far as she could tell.

Relax, Elenoin told herself, control, control, fight for it. It would not do to burn herself out with an adrenaline rush before anything had happened. Control.

A slight shuffle in the step. Her pursuer had entered the clearing. No sounds of movement, soft breathing, she could almost picture the person looking around. He or she must have sensed something. Felt the danger there.

Another sound. A spadd igniting.

If that is the way they want it, Elenoin tightened her grip on her own spadd.

Sounds of someone moving through the clearing, checking the signs on the ground. Whoever it was was getting closer. Elenoin closed her eyes and pictured the clearing as best as she could. She wanted to leap out, ready to fight, but she knew that would result in her death. Her reserves of stamina were nearly gone. A long-term fight was not in her best interest. It would have to be fast.

Waiting, waiting, trying to hear every sound over the beating of her heart. The sound of a footfall close by, a slight change in the pursuers breathing let Elenoin know it was time.

She spun out, dropping to her knee, igniting the spadd, ignoring the pain. The spadd wielded by her opponent flashed over head. If she had not dropped to her knee it might have taken her head off. Her own blade flashed out.

There was no real feedback with a spadd. The blade cut through softer materials with such ease it was hard to tell if she had hit anything by feel alone. The smell of burning flesh, of ruptured intestines, told her what she needed to know, however.

Her blade went up above her head to block a possible down swing as she surged to her feet. She need not have bothered. In the light of the two spadds' blades she could see the man who had come after her. He was one of Tristan's trackers. She had cut him in half.

For a moment Elenoin swayed back and forth, almost fainting. Her exertions had almost been too much for her. She Shut off her weapon and returned it to the bag. Elenoin bent down and took the spadd from the dead man's hand. He had been one of the men that had raped her. Teeth barred, she slashed down with the weapon, taking his head from his shoulders. Growling, she slashed across his chest, her anger and hatred coming through.

She stepped back from the ruins of what had once been a man's body. She shut the spadd off and threw it from her. She turned and walked away, leaving the scene.

The jungle was beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn. Elenoin tripped over a tree root, stumbled forward, barely managing to keep herself from falling.

She wondered how much longer she had to live. All the signs and symptoms told her that soon she might be dead. It seemed so unfair. There were so many things she had wanted to do.

She was no longer quite certain where she was. For all she knew she might have been walking in circles for the past several hours. The sun might rise to reveal the body of the man she had killed.

Then in front of her she heard talking, people coming through the bush, several she thought. It did not sound like Tristan or his men, but how could she be sure? Even if it was not Tristan how could she trust anyone?

She turned to run, hoping she could hide herself in the bush. She tripped on something, this time she was unable to keep herself from falling. Her head spun as the ground came up to meet her.

It drove the air from her lungs, her eyes blurred, the little remaining strength in her limbs finally fled. I'm finished, Elenoin thought. She looked up, hoping to see her mother again, hoping that the shade might give her strength once again. The spirit world was not to be a help.

Elenoin closed her eyes. It had been a long time since she had slept. Consciousness fled.

* * *

The Trio de Colus infantry walked through the jungle. They were relaxed. It had been quiet and Hagooda was defeated. From all reports it seemed the people of Hagooda were more interested in turning on their leaders than in continuing the fight.

The walked in single file, several meters of spacing between them, each person in the squad covering an arc of fire, alternating left and right down the line. They may have been relaxed but they were not stupid.

Quiet conversation went on between the members of the squad. The topic of most importance was how they were going to spend their leave the next day.

Private Galen was on point, not involved in any of the conversation. He was doing his best to see everything, to look everywhere. Something ahead of him caught his attention. The line was not natural; it stood out from the jungle floor. He could see pale flesh.

He put his hand down at waist level, open, palm facing the people behind him. The signal was passed own the line. The squad moved out into a V formation, Galen at the point. They no longer talked, The relaxed attitude gone.

Galen moved forward to investigate. If they got bumped he might very well die. All he could do in that case was hug the ground and hope he was not caught in the crossfire.

Placing his feet down carefully, watching for tripwires or other booby traps, he moved forward slowly. He kept his rifle in front of him, moving it back and forth across his firing arc, watching for movement.

Finally he reached the person he had seen. He bent down, keeping one hand on the pistol grip of his weapon, and reached out, pulling the cloak from the body.

Battle injuries were something he had seen a lot of during the war with Hagooda. The bruises and cuts and swelling on the young woman, girl really, lying in front of him spoke of something else, something darker.

He let the cloak fall back into place and got to his feet. It might be a trap of some sort. She was alive but he could not call the squad in until he was sure it was safe. He moved out, checking the immediate area. He moved quickly, less worried than he had been, and the desire to get help for the girl sped his steps. After several minutes he was satisfied things were all right. He returned to the girl's side.

"Gunso(sergeant), it's clean. We need Kelsey here, we got wounded," he yelled out.

Kelsey, the squad medic, was by his side almost instantly, examining the unconscious girl. The rest of the squad followed at a more careful pace. Manai-gunso had them set up in an all around defence, just in case.

"Shit, she's taken a beating, it looks like rape," Kelsey said, running his hands over her body, feeling for injuries. "By the bruising I'd say she took this at least a day ago. How the hell did she survive this long?"

"How bad?" Manai-gunso asked, moving closer.

"Bad, but she'll live as long as I get her treatment soon." He pulled his medical bag from his back and opened it up.

"I can't believe anyone could do this." She looked over Kelsey's shoulder. "The people in Hagooda are animals."

"Maybe." He pulled a bandage out and put it around her abdomen. The pressure might help to stem some of the internal bleeding. It could buy some time. "Hold it," she told him. She knelt down and grabbed the cloak, flipping it over. The embroidery was done in thread nearly the same colour as the cloak but in the growing morning light was easy enough to see. "Family crest, Karimon, Hagooda nobility." She got to her feet. "Leave her."

"Gunso you can't..."

"I said leave her."

"She'll die."

"That's the plan."

"I'm helping her." Kelsey tied off the bandage.

"Leave her." Kelsey felt the barrel of a rifle against his neck.

"She will die if I do nothing," Kelsey said between clenched teeth.

"How many of ours died. Karimon supported that bitch Almemaios. That girl is just as guilty."

"I don't give a shit about politics. She's dying, I'm going to save her."

"No you aren't."

Kelsey turned suddenly, his pistol out, lined up with Manai's head. "I am."

"Jotto-hei(corporal)," she warned.

"I have taken an oath," he told her.

She looked down at her medic, not sure what to do. He had been with her for three months and she knew he was a brave man. She had seen him dash out on a battlefield to bring the wounded to safety. She had known a lot of medics like that, men and women, always different from the common soldier.

"Fine." She moved her rifle so it was no longer pointing at him. "Stay here. Everyone else, let's move out." She walked away, heading into the jungle.

Kelsey watched them leave then turned his attention back to the girl on the ground. After a few minutes he had done all the treatment he could. Picking her up, being gentle as possible, he headed back towards the base camp.

She was a small woman but heavier than he would have expected. She must be mostly muscle, Kelsey thought.

It was three kilometres back to the base camp in a straight line. He could not travel in a straight line and he walked nearly five. Over the rough ground of the jungle, with the burden of the girl in his arms, it felt like ten.

When her finally made it into the base camp he was wasted and soaked with sweat.

"Paula-san! Paula-san!" He called, carrying her towards the evac tent. "Fire up the ambulance, you got a passenger who will need a ride in a few minutes."

"What happened?" Paula leaned out of her digg.

"Found a civilian out in the jungle. She's really beat up." He told her.

"Fuck. One of ours?"

"Don't know," he lied. Manai-gunso was not alone in her sentiments towards the enemy.

"The ambulance will be ready as soon as you want it," she told him.

Kelsey carried the girl into the evac dome and laid her down on the gurney near the entrance.

"I need two units of plasma, and a unit of electrolytes," he told the two aides.

While they rushed to get the equipment he pulled his combat knife from his webbing and cut the patch of embroidery from the cloak. It was best he did not leave anything obvious that might identify her as nobility of Hagooda. He shoved the material into his pocket and slid the knife into its sheath before the aides were back.

They worked together, sliding the needles into her arms, opening the IV tubes right up.

"Okay, let's get her on a stretcher," Kelsey said.

They transferred her onto a stretcher, then carried her out to the ambulance and got her loaded in.

"Make sure you give her a gentle ride," Kelsey called up to the driver.

"Hey, this is an effect vehicle, we don't hit any bumps," Paula called back to him.

"I'll take care of the paperwork, you go with her," he told one of the aides.

"Right," the woman said to him, climbing into the back of the ambulance. Kelsey shut the doors then pounded on them twice. The vehicle rose up on its effect fields then shot off over the broken ground, its ride as smooth as Paula had promised.

Turning around Kelsey headed over to the office tent and entered it. He took a seat at the clerk's desk and reached for the phone. He had to call up a friend at the field hospital and arrange for the girl's safety. He would have to loose all the paperwork as well. Then he had to find his squad again. Manai-gunso was not going to forget this one, he thought, but she would forgive him.

* * *

The Fatima carried two large bundles of flowers in her arms. She was walking towards a pair of graves. One was fresh, the other older.

She wore a short ruffled skirt of dark green cloth that went to the middle of her thighs. Her dark green jacket, with flared cuffs, was open, revealing the white, silk camisole she wore under it. A pair of white tights covered her impossibly thin and long legs. Her black shoes looked delicate, with the thin heels and straps. A pair of green ankle socks, ruffled at the top, completed the outfit.

Around her waist was a thin belt of black leather, the buckle a piece of carved jade. Two thin straps came down on her left side, holding a carrier in which her spadd rested.

Her long hair was light brown, almost blonde. The pale rose, memory crystal was affixed to the left side of her head, looking like a piece of jewellery, centred on the part of her hair. Her light blue eye shields covered a set of eyes that were the colour of the ocean on a stormy day.

She shifted the bundles of flowers into her right arm while she moved the spadd out of the way and took a seat between the two graves.

"Ohayo Gozaiamusu(good morning) Master," she said, placing one of the bundles of flower on the freshly laid sod in front of the new gravestone. The name on it was 'Anthony Xanados'. The date of death was less than a week before.

She placed the second bundle of flowers on the other grave. The name on the stone was 'Genavie Tashia-Xanados'. She had been Anthony's wife. She had died nearly six years before.

Both had died young, neither over two hundred and fifty years.

She tucked her legs under her and reached out to brush her hand along the new stone.

She had been with Anthony for nearly fifty years. She had met him when he had visited her father and realised instantly she was meant for him.

They had been friends, companions in battle, sometimes lovers, but it was Genavie he had truly loved. She had realised that soon and had loved her as well, because she made her master happy. When Genavie had died she had mourned with almost the same intensity as Anthony.

It was after her death that Anthony had lost the will to live. No one else had seen it, but she had been too close to her master to miss it.

He had fought every battle after that with determination, had taken 'Morrigan' into fights with a fatalistic attitude. His acceptance of death had made him strong and none of their opponents had ever beaten him. The Mortar Head had never even been badly damaged.

In the end it was a stray shot, near the end of the war, when he was away from his Mortar Head, that had killed him. Some said he had followed his King into death.

The burial had been simple and quick, as Anthony had requested. He had wanted to be put beside his wife as soon as possible. Friends had helped. Then they had left.

She was alone in the house now, the large mansion that was out of place in Jarth, but so was Anthony in many ways. A large man with a barrel chest and long moustaches--waxed so the ends curled around. She smiled, remembering him.

It would be some time before Anthony's heirs came to the house, some would have still not been informed of his death. His nephew Lance was inheriting almost everything but he, was at a college on Addler. It would be a little while before he showed up.

She wondered what would become of her. Anthony had been the only Headliner in the family.

Taking her hand from the stone she placed both in her lap and lowered her head. A few tears ran from her eyes to streak down her face. That was all. Her emotions were under tight control, thanks to the mind control. She wanted to wail, to scream, to sob until her throat was raw. All she could do, however, was produce a few tears.

She stayed by the grave site for hours, sitting there, hardly moving. When the rain began to fall she wanted to stay there, heedless of the rain. After a moment she got to her feet. She had promised Anthony, years before, that if he were to die that she would take care of herself and find a new master. She wondered if she ever could.

Getting to her feet she ran across the lawn, heading for the back door of the house.

Some time later, after showering and changing into a robe, she walked through the house. The staff was gone. Most had been dismissed after Genivie's death. The rest had gone on temporary leaves of absence after Anthony had been buried. She spent her time cleaning the few rooms that were still open. The rest were cloaked in dust cloths, devoid of the warmth they had once held.

She went from room to room, altering things slightly, pulling a dust cloth to cover a piece of furniture better or moving a lamp to another table, or putting a book away, or any number of little things. Two hours later she walked through the same room again, putting things back the way they had been the first time.

For a time she left off the pointless wandering to make herself dinner. She was careful to only prepare enough food for herself and then to clean everything up, leaving the kitchen spotless.

Then, finally exhausted by the monotony of the day, she went to her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep. The last thought before sleep claimed her was that the next day would be exactly the same.

* * *

Elenoin came to consciousness slowly, slipping gently from the bonds of sleep. She was aware of the softness under her first. Then something covering her, and the warmth of it. Smells came to her next, the medicinal scent of disinfectants. It was a hospital smell.

Her eyes fluttered open, the light was soft and indirect. She could hear a quiet murmur of conversation, footsteps, a squeaking she guessed were the wheels of a cart.

She wondered where she was? Had Tristan found her? Was he waiting for her to recover so he could hurt her again? She could remember nothing past killing the tracker in the forest.

Trying to sit up proved impossible. She felt weak, very weak. It went beyond the injuries she had endured. It was like being drunk. They had her sedated she realised. She tired once more to sit up; her back came away from the mattress, her head from the pillow. Then she fell back to the bed. Darkness was creeping in at the edges of her vision; she tired to sit up once more but could not even get her head off he pillow.

Sleep claimed her again.

The next time she came to the cottony feeling around her mind was gone. She sat up so quickly that the blood rushed from her head, making her feel dizzy.

"Careful, don't push yourself too hard," a male voice said.

"Who, where?" Elenoin turned towards the speaker, at the same time she drew herself up into the corner of the bed farthest from him, pulling her knees in against her chest. She noticed that a privacy curtain had been pulled around the bed.

He looked to be a short man, though it was hard to be certain with him sitting. He had short brown hair, brown eyes and an average appearance. There was an air of self-confidence about him.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you Karimon-dono," he told her. "No one is going to hurt you. Your are in the 2nd Brigade field hospital, Trio de Colus. I am Isben-Tai-I(captain), your doctor."

Elenoin said nothing. She pulled herself into a tighter ball, making sure the bed covers were over her.

"You have been asleep for five days now. We had you in surgery for three hours after you arrived, repaired all the damage. Then you spent two days in a modified Fatima bed. You heal fast."

"What now?" she asked.

"Indeed, what now? Do you want to tell me who raped you? It was quite brutal, a lot of damage. All the physical signs are gone, but the mental scars are beyond my healing abilities. You should tell me who did it?"

She turned to look at the wall, focusing all her attention on it.

"You should tell me. It will help. It was not your fault."

Elenoin turned to face him. She opened her mouth, then closed it and turned to stare at the wall again.

"Trust me Karimon-sama, it was not your fault. Self blame for something like this can destroy you." He waited several seconds to see if she would say anything. "Fine. Let's talk about you."

Something hit the bed. Elenoin turned to look at it. It was her passport.

"Elenoin Karimon, now Duchess Elenoin, though you have lost all your lands, things being the way they are in Hagooda. You are only fifty five years old, five years short of age of majority." Next a bulging valise hit the bed. "You have managed to secure almost all of your family fortune, that makes you one of the richest individuals in the Cluster." Her spadd hit the bed next, close to her. "You are a headliner."

Elenoin reached out from under the cover to get the spadd. She looked at it, running her hands over the acid etched metal. Rose vines ran up and down the casing, a beautiful piece of work. A master's work.

"As for the rest of it, tooth brush, a medpack that probably did you more harm than good. Honestly, stimulants and pain killers, do you know that they did to you?" He waited to see if she would answer. "A map, sanitary pads, and nothing else. Not very prepared for someone carrying enough in bearer bonds alone to buy two or three spaceships. So young lady, what do you think?"

She said nothing.

"This hospital sees a number of people come through it. Nobility are rare. Children, thankfully, are rare. Incredibly wealthy people are rare. Headliners are rare. You are unique here."

Elenoin let the spadd drop back onto the bed.

"Tell me Karimon-sama, what should I do with you? You are Hagooda nobility, but due to the events in your home country my guess is you want amnesty. You are not legal adult, and since you no longer have a living guardian you should be put in a fosterage. You have been raped, you need in depth psychological treatment."

"Leave me alone." She did not bother looking at him.

"And then what? What do you plan to do?"

She said nothing.

"I see." He began to pack up the things he had thrown on her bed, placing them back in the bag. "I'll leave this here. He put the bag on the table by her bed. "Get some rest." He got to his feet and left the area enclosed by the curtain, Elenoin heard his footsteps as he walked away.

She looked over at the bag. She could grab everything and make a run for it. But what would that get her? She did not have enough information; there were too many unknowns. The Tai-I seemed safe enough. It was best that she wait for a little while at least.

* * *

Alfred Isben walked across the ward floor, heading towards the door at the end of the hall. Beside him walked--though he was not sure it that was the way to really describe her almost floating glide--Mariko Saunders, a Diver.

She was average height but a head taller than the doctor beside her. She wore her red hair slicked back, tight to her scalp and then it fell to her shoulders. Light blue, almost green eyes. Not really beautiful but handsome. Perhaps striking was the word.

"Well what do you think?" he asked her as the exited the ward.

"Scared little girl. Rape will do that," Mariko told him.

"Yeah." He leaned against the wall and reached into his pocket for his cigarillos. "But how do I handle her. I've seen such stuff before, but mostly battle fatigue. We covered rape in med school but thankfully I've never had to deal with any cases before."

"What do you want me to tell you?" Mariko asked him.

"You're the mind reader." He took a cigarillo from the pack.

"I never claimed to read minds. A bit of empathy, a sixth sense, telekinesis, electrokinesis are my specialities."

"You have a lot more experience with dealing with people who have gone through emotional trauma." He put the pack back in his pocket.

"What makes you think that?" she asked innocently.

"Someone has to keep the real strong Divers, the one who manifest young, from going over the edge. The Guild needs people like that too much, don't they?"

"For a doctor you know a lot," she told him, sounding a little cross.

"Just a lucky guess."

"Is that so Chu-sa(colonel)?" She arched an eyebrow.

"We keep each other's secrets."

"Like always."

"I want your advice."

"Okay, she is messed up. A lot of self-blame there, self-hatred, anger, distrust. Rape is not just a physical assault, it scars the spirit."

"This I know."

"It never hurts to put everything in perspective. Now she needs help but will she take it?"

"Does she have choice?"

"Yes. She has to want the help. What are you thinking of doing for her?"

"She's not an adult. I can find her a foster home without a problem. She is a Headliner after all. Nobility is a nice plus."

"And let's not forget that she's rich. I would love to get control of her estate, even for five years. I'd make myself rich and her richer." Mariko clasped her hands and put them under her chin. She smiled at the thought of it.

"Yes, well let's hope we can find someone who does not have greed in their heart."

"Actually, if I could spare the time, I would happily take her and I'm one of the few people who could help her."

"Why can't you?"

"Secrets, secrets, don't ask me secrets."

"Okay, someone else?"

"Okay, you foster her out, say a well off family in Ballanka, shouldn't be too hard. Then what?"

"She gets the help she needs in a stable family environment."

"No, she leaves, probably the day you get her there. She does not trust anyone. Trust opens her up to the possibility of hurt."

"Okay, we make it more secure."

"Put her in a institute? That's all she needs. She is a Headliner after all. If she does not want to be held you'll have to hurt her to keep her."

"Are you telling me to let her go?"

"Yes. There is no one in the area I know who is strong enough to take her under his or her wing and keep her sane. Pity none of the F.E.M.C. have stayed, at least any of them who would be willing to take a squire, as it were."

"I can't let her go, it wouldn't be right."

"This is one of those cases where doing the right thing is not the best thing."

"I can't just turn her loose."

"We can only help her if she decides she wants help. Hell Alfred-san, she walked across the jungle by herself, probably half that journey made after she had been raped and beaten. She can take care of herself. The only real danger she faces comes from inside."

"Mariko-san, she could go very bad. We've both seen what those emotionally scarred can do. A thousand wars have given us plenty of children who have seen too much. If Elenoin Karimon-sama returns hurt for hurt after we let her go it will be on our heads."

"Then my friend," She reached out and touched the end of his unlit cigarillo. It burst into flame for a moment and then half fell to the ground as ash. "We take care of her."

"Cold Mariko-san, very cold."

"We don't make the rules, but we play by them, ne?"

"Whatever happens, it will be my fault."

"Sometimes you are too much the doctor. I wish I had time, I would love to dump Elenoin-chan on Lie-san." She smiled. "Well, I got to go. See you next time I come through the area." She headed down the hallway towards the exit.

"Take care," he told her.

"I always do."

* * *

Elenoin had sat up in the bed, propping the pillows up behind her. She held her spadd in her hands, turning it over slowly, looking at the beautiful, acid etched, rose and vine, design on the outer casing. It truly was a master work, more a work of art than a weapon.

Her mother's spadd. The only time she had truly stood up to her brother and father had been over the weapon. After her mother's death her brother had tried to claim the weapon. It had been meant for her though and she had demanded it. Her father had tried to make her feel guilty, asking her how she could be so petty after her mother's death?

She had refused to be budged on it. In the end Nathan had given up.

It was soon after that he had challenged her to the duel.

Elenoin flipped it into the air where. it spun end over end. She grabbed it as it began to fall, and then repeated the action several more times. Turning her attention back to the etching Elenoin let herself become lost in it. She could remember, sitting on her mother's knee, looking at the very weapon she held now, her mother pointing out all the detail in it.

From the weave of rose stems little things popped out. A butterfly, a spider, a mouse, other things as well. She loved it.

"Am I interrupting?" Isben-Tai-i asked her.

"No." Elenoin shoved the spadd back into the bag.

"Well, I thought you might want to take a shower before you leave."

"Before I leave?"

"No need for you to stay. You are in nearly perfect health, you have been discharged." He dropped a bundle of clothes on the bed. "I think all this will fit you, nothing special but it should do. There's also some soap, shampoo, towels, all that stuff."

Elenoin looked at him, then reached out to grab the bathrobe by the side of the bed. Alfred turned his back to her. She got out of bed and pulled the thin robe on. She then grabbed her bag and the clothes.

"Where's the shower?" she asked him.

"Down that way." He turned and pointed. "Second door on your left."

She nodded then turned and walked out of the curtains, into the ward.

Alfred watched her go. Pretty girl he thought. He prayed that Mariko had called this one right.

Elenoin made straight for the shower room, trying her best not to jump whenever anyone came near her. She looked straight ahead, not making eye contact with anyone.

There were ten showers, each one in its own, separate, stall. The room was empty. She placed the clothes and bag on a bench near one of the showers at the back of the room.

She made the shower quick and then dried off and got dressed. The clothes were simple, loose pants, a T-shirt, a jacket, boots; all of it fit fairly well.

Her cloak was included. She looked it over. Someone had cut her family crest from it, probably a good thing. It had been cleaned but to Elenoin it held too many unpleasant memories. She dropped it to the floor.

She pulled the bag over her shoulder and left the shower room.

Isben-Tai-i was waiting outside for her.

"Here, take this." He held out a small data reader.

"Why?"

"It has the numbers of a number of good counsellors and help lines throughout the Cluster."

"No thank you." Elenoin began to turn away.

He almost reached to grab her shoulder, then realised that would not be a good plan. He moved out in front of her, blocking her way.

"Please Karimon-sama, take them, if only to ease a doctor's conscience."

"Fine." She reached out took the data reader from him. "Happy?" She pushed it into her pocket and slid by him.

"Ecstatic. Karimon-sama, one more thing."

"What?" She continued to walk.

"The exit is that way." He pointed to a corridor to his right.

Elenoin turned and walked back, then down the corridor he indicated.

"Thanks," she said, sounding a little embarrassed.

The corridor turned to the left a few meters down and then ended at a set of glass doors. Sunshine streamed through them. Hitching the strap for the bag higher on her shoulder she pushed through them.

She walked across the parking lot and out onto the road that led into the field hospital. She walked along it, a hundred meters down she came to the cross roads. A signpost told her where each road led. One back towards Hagooda, the other three led to towns whose names meant nothing to her.

She pulled a twig from a bush by the road and threw it up into the air. It fluttered down, twisting, landing on the ground. The torn end pointed towards the road opposite to the one leading back to Hagooda. The signpost proclaimed it led to a place called "Mizuhashi", fifty kilometres distant.

She set off down it.

A minute later a digg pulled up beside her, a large cargo model.

"Hey, ojousan(young lady), you want a ride?" the young driver called out to her.

Elenoin looked up at him, wondering what was going on behind his innocent face. What did he really plan? When she realised she was being paranoid she stepped up onto the running boards.

"That would be great, thank you very much."

"No problem." He reached over to open the door for her. Elenoin got into the passenger seat, pulling on her seatbelt. A moment later the digg was heading down the road.

At the cross roads Alfred watched the vehicle crest a hill and disappear. He hoped she would be all right.


	2. Chapter 2

Five Star Stories Side Stories Part 2 of 2

The wine sparkled in the late afternoon light, it refracted the beams of sunlight that passed through it, putting a rainbow on the grave stone.

Sif smiled at the effect as she reached forward to pick the wine glass up.

"I miss you." She told the gravestone. The wine had a subtle taste and was refreshing. Anthony had always kept a bottle or two of it in Morrigan for celebrating after a battle. She remembered fondly the trouble he had gone through to put the wine cooler into the cockpit.

She could not repress the laugh as she remembered the first time they had gone into battle after the cooler had been put in. A moment after she had boosted the power output of Morrigan the cooler had flash frozen the wine, shattering the bottles.

The laugh made her feel guilty. She finished the wine in silence.

Days had passed without anything changing. She was still lonely; the house still empty, she still did not know what was going to happen to her.

She looked around, over the estate grounds, noticing they were beginning to look a little wild. The one remaining gardener had been given a leave of absence nearly two months before.

The gardens had once been a place of parties, a few concerts, two tournaments and countless walks and picnics. Now they were beginning to revert back to a wild state. How long would it take, she wondered, for the gardens to claim the entire estate, how long before nothing was left?

Sif looked back at the gravestone then lifted her head, looking towards the long drive that lead up to the house. She could just make out a single figure walking along the drive. Standing, she shaded her eyes with her hand, trying to see who it might be.

One person, walking slowly, little else was evident. There was nothing familiar about the person.

She almost returned to her graveside vigil. If whoever it was was supposed to be there they would not need her. If not, well it was not her house. What right did she have to be seeing strangers?

No, she thought, as she started walking towards the house. Both Anthony and Genavie had friendly people; they would not have ignored a guest. She also would be happy to talk to someone after such a long time of being by herself.

* * *

Elenoin walked up the drive, staring at the ground and her feet, only occasionally glancing up at the mansion she was approaching.

It had been four days since she had left the hospital. Two days since she had turned off the road that would have taken her to the spaceport, as well as uncomfortably close to Jarth, the capital city of Colus. She was not sure why she had decided against the spaceport, only that she felt it would be too easy. Things had been too easy so far.

She had managed to spend the nights under a roof. She had gone to houses, in effect begging for a place to stay. It felt ridiculous and wrong, she had a fortune in bearer bonds alone after all. She did not want to cash any of them, to take the first step that would force her to start acting responsible in regards to her family fortune. There was also that it would attract attention.

She had avoided all the cities and towns and villages along her way, always looking for houses far from any others. The less people around her the better.

Hopefully she could get a bed and a meal at the house she was approaching; though she was beginning to think it might be deserted. She hoped not as she felt tired, and achy. A rest would do her good.

As she neared the door it suddenly opened. Taken by surprise, she leapt back, her hand going into the bag at her side, her fingers enfolding the spadd.

A Fatima stared at her, looking a little surprised herself.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," she said. "Can I help you?"

Elenoin looked at her. She was beautiful, mature looking, almost regal. Her clothes were clean and neat and the entire effect was to make her feel rather small and grubby.

"Well, it's just that…" Elenoin took her hand from the bag and moved a few steps closer. "I was wondering if you might need some work done," she began to talk faster as she was very uncomfortable with asking for help. "In trade for some food and maybe a place to sleep." She was blushing and stared down at her feet.

"Well there is nothing here that needs to be done," Sif said after a moment. "But you can stay the night if you want and dinner will be no problem. Please come in."

"Thank you," Elenoin mumbled, not looking up. It was the same response she had received at other places. No one had actually asked her to do any work. They had been quite kind in fact. It worried her. She always wondered what they might be hiding. "My name is Chaturse Elenoin," she said. She had been using her mother's maiden name just in case anyone might be looking for a Karimon.

"I'm Sif."

"Uh, is your Master here?" Elenoin asked uncomfortably. She had never been quite sure of how to talk to Fatimas.

"He has passed on," Sif said, a little surprised she could say it without feeling torn up.

"I'm sorry." She could empathise with the Fatima's pain.

"Thank you but it is all right. Let me show you to a room you can use." Sif said, indicating one a doorway. The young woman looked tired, perhaps even a little sick, but harmless and in need of help—though there was something else that Sif felt. Both Anthony and Genavie would have happily taken her in. Sif knew they had wanted children and taking care of Elenoin would have made them happy.

Of course just inviting someone into the house was not wise but she had a good feeling about the young woman and she knew she could defend herself and the house if needed.

She considered taking her up stairs to the proper guest rooms but Elenoin looked so tired. Sif felt it best not to make her climb any stairs. She led her down a hall to the servant quarters. The rooms were comfortable enough.

"Here you go." Sif pulled the door to one of the rooms open. "I hope this will do."

"It will be fine," Elenoin said before even seeing the room. She looked around the very sparse and clean room with its simple furniture. She liked that. Two days ago and elderly couple had let her use a beautiful room with beautiful furniture. She had not slept at all, terrified that they were trying to lull her into a false sense of security.

She walked over to the bed and dumped her bag on it.

"Are you alone here?" Elenoin asked.

"Yes," Sif told her. "At least I was." She smiled. "There is a bathroom through that door. Dinner should be ready in an hour."

"Thank you." Elenoin felt at a loss to say anything else.

"See you at dinner Chaturse-san." Sif bowed slightly then was gone.

Elenoin moved forward and shut the door, then locked it. She found a chair and put it under the doorknob just in case. Feeling a little more secure she let herself relax.

She went back to the bed and began to empty her pockets out onto it. Currency in small denominations--the elderly couple had given her that--a vial of painkillers and a vial of antibiotics fell onto the bed. She had found the medications in the jacket pockets, along with information how she was supposed to take them. She had left the bottles unopened. From another pocket came the data reader Doctor Isben had given her. A slim throwing knife followed--the young driver of the cargo digg had made her take, just in case. There was nothing else.

After pulling the jacket off she dropped it onto the bed and then sat down on a clear space to begin unlacing her boots. Once they were unlaced she kicked them boots off and then pulled her feet up so she could massage her toes. After several minutes she took off her socks and dropped them onto the floor beside her boots. She had rinsed the socks out in sinks every night but they were beginning to get a little grimy.

Getting back to her feet she pulled the belt open and let her pants drop to pool about her feet. She stepped from them, bent down, picked them up then hung them on the back of the second chair in the room.

From her bag she took her toiletries and her spadd. Almost as an afterthought she grabbed the throwing knife from the bed before walking into the bathroom.

* * *

Sif finished taking out everything she would need to make dinner. It was the first time in quite a while she had a chance to do any real cooking. She decided to keep things simple, not knowing what Elenoin's tastes were. Simple but very good, she thought, reaching for the spice rack.

A little more than half an hour later she had everything ready and cooking. Now all she had to do was wait. She looked around at the clutter--more mess than the kitchen had seen in a long time. It made it look comfortable, homey, again. She considered starting the cleaning then decided there was something that she should do first.

She ran up the stairs to the second floor then began to go from guest room to guest room, looking through the wardrobes, bureaus and chests.

At one time the guest rooms had been the semi-permanent residences to friends of both Anthony and Genavie. After her death most had slowly drifted off, the mood of the house having changed. Many had left clothing behind. Since none had ever bothered to retrieve it Sif was sure that they would not miss it.

After a few minutes she had gathered together several outfits worth of clothes that she was sure would fit her guest. There were even two unopened packages of underwear. She returned to the first floor and left the pile of clothing outside the closed door.

Satisfied she returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal.

* * *

Elenoin felt refreshed after the long shower. It had washed the road dust from her hair and skin and the hot water relieved some of the aches in her muscles.

She was sitting on the bed, a towel wrapped around her, wondering if she might just go to sleep, not bothering with dinner at all, when she heard a noise outside her door.

Snapping her spadd up she moved quickly to the door and put her ear to it. She heard no noise. She quietly removed the chair from under the doorknob then unlocked and opened the door. No one was out there but she noticed the pile of clothing on the floor almost instantly.

Relaxing she bent down and picked them up, recognising the hand out for what it was. After pushing the door shut with her foot, she retreated back into the room and placed the gifts on the bed.

After looking through it she decided most of it would fit her, some of it very well. Many of the styles were currently out of fashion but all that mattered to her was that they were clean. The obvious hand me down quality also relaxed her--nothing suspicious in it.

She tore open one of the packages of underwear, gladder of that than any other piece of clothing. The panties were a little too big, but not so much as to be unwearable.

From the clothing she picked out a white blouse and a black skirt. The blouse fit well enough but the skirt went down to the middle of her shins and the waist was too big for her. She looked through the clothing until she found the scarf she had noticed earlier. She used that like a belt, tying it around her waist to keep the skirt up.

She pulled on a pair of white ankle socks; they looked like they had been washed a few times. They were a little grey on the bottom, but still clean.

Elenoin wondered if she should take her spadd with her. It would be rude and if Sif saw it she might feel threatened. It would also suggest lack of trust. Sif had done nothing to make Elenoin believe she had any hidden plans. In the end she ended up strapping the throwing knife to the inside of her left forearm. If anything happened the knife should buy her any time she needed.

She opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. She looked up and down the hall then set off the way she had been led earlier. She reached the entry hall and no longer had any idea of where to go. Then she smelled the scent of cooking. By literally following her nose she found her way to a kitchen.

Sif was taking things off the oven, placing them on the counter top.

"Hello," Sif said. "Have a seat." She indicated the wooden table. There was cutlery on it, a tea service, glasses, and several pitchers. "I'll be done in a minute."

"Thank you for the clothes," Elenoin said as she took a seat at the table.

"You're welcome, but it was no bother."

"Nice to be in clean clothes again."

"I'm glad it makes you feel better." She set two plates on the counter and began to lay out the meals.

"Why is no one else here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No one wants to be I guess." Sif picked up the plates.

"Pardon?"

"The house has been sad for some time." She placed on of the plates in front of Elenoin then took a seat beside her.

"Sad?"

"It no longer felt welcoming." She picked up the teapot and filled the cup by Elenoin's plate.

"I see," she said, though she was not sure if she did.

"Why are you out alone?"

"I don't have anyone," Elenoin said, surprising herself a little.

"You lost your family in the war with Hagooda?"

"I guess you could say that."

"I'm sorry." Sif reached out to touch Elenoin's hand. Elenoin pulled her hand back before contact could be made. When she realised how rude that was she tried to cover up by picking up her cutlery. What Sif noticed was how fast that Elenoin had reacted.

"This looks delicious," she told the Fatima.

"Enjoy." Sif smiled.

"I will." Elenoin turned her attention to the food. It was as good as it had looked and smelled. She liked the simplicity of it as well, nothing suspicious in it.

They ate in silence for some time. Sif was glad she had decided to serve the meal in the kitchen. The dining room, while beautiful, was cold in some ways. In the kitchen some of the old warmth of the house was recaptured.

Elenoin realised how much she had missed companionship; she had avoided people as best she could since Tristan had raped her. No, she realised it went farther back than that. Really since her mother had died. She had not been able to feel close to anyone since then. The rape had just magnified the feelings in that she could no longer trust anyone.

The Fatima was different. It was not so much that she trusted her, it was more that she was not bombarded by the constant feelings of mistrust.

"Where will you go?" Sif asked suddenly, both of them were almost finished their meals.

"Go?"

"When you leave tomorrow?"

"Where ever."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"If you'd like, well you could stay here a few days but Lance and the others, Master's heirs, will probably be here in three or four days so I can't say after that."

"No, but thank you." Elenoin hated the thought of staying in one place long. The longer she remained in one place the more chance someone like Tristan might find her.

"Well, I could give you some money from the household funds, it has not really been touched in a long time. No one would miss it." Sif thought that might be wrong but she wanted to help Elenoin.

Elenoin looked at her for a moment. She almost laughed but managed not to. She did smile though.

"No. Thank you Sif-san, but I do not need money."

"If you are sure." Sif wondered if she had insulted the young woman. The thing was that she looked more amused than anything else.

"I am. Can I help you clean up?"

"No, that won't be necessary." Sif got to her feet and began gathering up the empty dishes and cups.

Elenoin was getting up when a wave of dizziness hit her. She sat back down, trying her best to hide her weakness. She was feeling light headed, her muscles were achy, and she felt hot. She wondered if she should be worried.

"Are you all right?" Sif asked.

"Just a little tired. I was walking most of the day."

"Why don't you get some rest." She put the dishes in the sink and turned on the water.

"Yes. That is probably a good idea." Elenoin got to her feet, fighting back the dizziness, and walked towards the door leading from the kitchen. "Thank you very much for the meal."

"You are welcome."

Once she had gone Sif turned her attention back to cleaning up. She worked quickly, efficiently, dealing with the mess she had made. After she had the dishes, pots and pans clean she turned her attention to the rest of the mess and soon had it taken care of.

She washed her hands then took off the apron she had been wearing and hung it on a hook near the door.

It had been nice talking to Elenoin, even though they had said very little. She was comfortable with her. She had not been that comfortable with anyone but her Master. Maybe that was because Elenoin was a headliner. It had taken a little while for Sif to realise that, but the reactions of headliners were much faster than those of standard humans. Fatimas could tell--they had to be able to tell after all.

Sif wondered what a headliner was doing, wandering around by herself? Was it possible that Elenoin did not know what she was? That was an interesting thought, but Sif doubted it. She considered getting in touch with some of Anthony's friends and telling them about the young headliner. Sif decided not to. It looked like Elenoin wanted to be alone.

Leaving the kitchen she headed back towards the entry hall. Perhaps she would see if Elenoin was feeling better in an hour or two and ask her if she wished to go for a walk in the gardens. Even as wild as they had become they still were still beautiful, especially in the night. It would give her a better chance to get to know the young woman.

She almost tripped over Elenoin's prone form in the entry hall.

Kneeling down she placed her fingers on the girl's throat, feeling for the pulse. It was there, but rapid and her skin was hot and flushed with fever.

"Chaturse-san." Sif shook her shoulder. "Chaturse-san."

Elenoin did not move, but her eyelids fluttered opened and closed. She stared at Sif for a second, moaned, then her eyes closed once again.

Gently taking her up into her arms, Sif lifted her up and then headed for the stairs. She nearly ran up the stairs, past the second floor, to the third floor. There was a small medical lab there.

Sif lay the girl on the medical bed, arranging her on it. She tapped a few keys on the keyboard at the side of the bed to activate the medical computer. A number of sensors above Elenoin came on, casting a greenish light on her. Sif reached over to start loosening the girl's clothes.

Elenoin suddenly lashed out, her fist almost connecting with Sif's jaw. Sif jerked back then leapt away as Elenoin's legs and arms began to flail about. Sif dropped her hand to where her spadd usually rested.

Flipping herself from the bed Elenoin hit the floor hard. She was up on her feet, backing from Sif, her back hitting the wall behind her. Her right hand went to her left arm as she clawed at the material for the knife.

"Won't get me again, won't hurt me!" Elenoin yelled.

"Chaturse-san, what..." Sif suddenly jerked her head to the side. A knife was embedded in the wall by her left ear.

"Won't get me, won't get..." Elenoin stumbled forward, jerked herself back, then fell forward.

Sif circled around the table and found Elenoin lying on the floor, unconscious. She picked her up and placed her on the table once more. From a drawer she removed a syringe, several needles and a vial of clear liquid. She prepared the sedative then gave it to Elenoin.

Satisfied she was not about to throw herself from the bed again Sif went back to loosening her clothes.

The screen at the far end of the room began to display information in Elenoin's condition. She was running a high fever and there were signs of shock. The computer suggested antibiotics.

It took Sif several minutes to prepare an IV bag of antibiotics and electrolytes. She put it up on the stand then slid the needle into Elenoin's right arm. After taping the tube into place she stepped back, looking at her work. It looked good.

She turned back to the computer screen, seeing what else the medical sensors had found out. There were signs of various damage, and surgical work, all healed, but it looked like there might have been some post-op infection that had blown up since the surgery. It was little wonder she was running a fever, or that she was delirious.

The computer had cooled the surface of the table and Elenoin was beginning to shiver slightly. Sif found a blanket and placed it over the girl.

The computer patiently monitored its patient. Its prognosis was good, Elenoin would recover in time. Sif tucked the blanket around her so she might be as comfortable as possible then left the med lab, going downstairs.

She went to the room that she had put Elenoin in and entered it.

On the bed she found the two vials of pills. She also found Elenoin's spadd, her identification, passport, the data reader and other things including the bearer bonds. Small wonder she said she did not need money, Sif thought, leafing through them, noting the value.

She took the pills, the ID and the data reader from the room and returned to the med lab. Elenoin's condition was unchanged, but it was not getting any worse so the computer seemed happy. She put the ID and data reader aside to enter the information about the pills she had found. After a few moments the computer was suggesting she alter the antibiotics she was using.

Once Sif had done that she took the ID and data reader and headed to her Master's study. She ran a search on Elenoin's real name and then turned her attention to the data reader.

An hour later she knew who the woman in the med lab was and was fairly sure she knew what had happened to her.

Rape. She shook her head. It was little wonder the girl had acted so strange. And for that to happen to one so young, not even an adult.

Sif turned off the computer and gathered everything up. She left Anthony's study and went back to the med lab.

Nothing had changed. The computer's current projection was twelve hours before any significant change would be seen. Elenoin had thrown the blanket off herself and was thrashing about in her sleep. Sif put the blanket back on her and considered sedating her again but after checking with the computer decided against it.

She spent the rest of the night by Elenoin's bed.

Twice the girl thrashed around, screaming, pulling the needle from her arm. Sif had tried to hold her down the first time but quickly realised that only made it worse. Both times, after Elenoin calmed again, she would clean her up and replace the needle in her arm.

It was nearly ten hours later when Sif was cleaning Elenoin up with a damp towel that it hit her. The sensation was almost painful; she stepped back from the table, almost falling.

The girl needed her, it was obvious but Sif had realised that she needed Elenoin.

Sif stepped close to the table. She placed her hand across Elenoin's brow. She did not feel nearly as hot as she had. She looked back at the computer screen. The fever had broken. She smiled and turned to look back at Elenoin.

"You will be fine Master," she told the sleeping girl.

* * *

Elenoin woke, thinking for a moment that she was home, that all the things over the past days were nothing but dreams. The room she was in reminded her of home, the large windows, the fine furniture and soft bed, the subtle scent of age.

Then the differences came to her, the smell of the air that blew through the windows, flavoured by flowers that had never bloomed at home. The furniture itself, different designs, and better cared for.

She sat up, wondering where she was. She felt a little weak, but not terribly so. She was not wearing what she had been and someone had dressed her in a silken night shirt. The last thing she remembered was eating dinner with Sif. Had the Fatima drugged her?

No, that did not seem likely. She pushed the covers off her legs and got out of the bed. She felt unsteady on her feet and almost fell back onto the bed. She stumbled across the floor to the doorway, wondering if she was locked in. She was reaching for the doorknob when the door suddenly opened, hitting her in the face.

She fell back, wind milling her arms in a futile attempt to regain her balance. The hard landing on her seat was enough of a shock that she felt tears welling up in her eyes. This is so unfair, she thought to herself. Who else had to suffer such indignities?

"Are you all right Master?" Sif asked, slightly alarmed. She almost dropped the tray she was carrying.

"No, no I'm not." Elenoin started to get up. Something the Fatima had said bothered her but she was not sure what it was.

"Here, let me help you." Sif placed the tray on the floor and then helped Elenoin to her feet and directed her back to the bed.

"What happened?" Elenoin reached up to her nose—recently banged by the door--wondering if it was broken. It was not bleeding, that was good.

"You passed out soon after dinner. You had a very bad fever. You know you really should have taken your medicine," she told Elenoin crossly.

"I suppose," she said, not able to think of any way to defend herself.

"Just a moment." Sif arranged the blankets and pillows around Elenoin so she could sit up easily.

"What are you doing?"

"You need to eat, certainly better than you have been over the last little while." Sif moved a bedside table so it rested in front of Elenoin.

"Wait, wait a second." Elenoin closed her eyes. "What did you say?"

"You have to eat better. The medical computer detected some nutrition deficiencies. Nothing major thankfully." She went and retrieved the tray.

"No, no, when you first came in."

"I asked if you were all right Master." Sif placed the tray on the table.

"Master, that was it!" Elenoin sat fully up and almost knocked the table over. Sif steadied the table and gently pushed her back into the pillows. "How can I be your Master?"

"Don't you like me?" Sif asked, looking a little sad.

The question struck a familiar spot in Elenoin's memory. She remembered her mother telling her of how her Fatima, Malsha--who had been killed before Elenoin was born--had chosen her. He had asked the same question Sif had asked when Elenoin's mother had shown surprise.

"No, that's not it." Elenoin sighed. She knew cluster law as well as anyone. There had been no ceremony but it was not necessary. Sif had suddenly her Fatima. She tried to remember if there were provisions for refusing a Fatima but nothing came to her.

Elenoin motioned Sif closer, then reached out, placing her index and pointed fingers on the rose coloured memory crystal on Sif's head. There was a slight tingle on her fingers as a small tissue sample was taken, her DNA code implanted on Sif. "You are my partner," Elenoin said, completing the bond between her and the Fatima.

Sif smiled. "Thank you Master," Sif said, then shifted the table closer to Elenoin. "Now eat all this, and don't forget to take the antibiotics." She took a seat on the bed beside Elenoin.

"Wait a moment, who is in charge here?" Elenoin had met a few Headliners and Fatimas in her life and she never remembered a Fatima telling her or his master what to do.

"But I want you to get better Master. Please." She gave Elenoin an imploring look.

"But, oh damn." Elenoin picked up the utensils, giving up. "I can see who is going to be running things in this partnership," she said as she shook her head.

Sif smiled.

The meal was very good, light, easily eaten, but excellent. After she was finished Sif made sure she took the antibiotics then left with the empty tray.

Elenoin lay back in the bed, feeling tired, not sleepy, just plain wasted. She could tell that she had been sick and that her body had used much of its resources to keep her going and to help her recover. Now it was demanding a rest.

Being a little stubborn she almost considered getting up. Then she decided against it. Stubborn and stupidity too often went hand in hand. She rearranged the pillows and pulled the covers over herself.

She had a Fatima. Things were bound to be different. The prospect was frightening. Perhaps exhilarating.

Elenoin spent the rest of the day dozing, waking up often, but never feeling the desire to leave the bed--except for the few times she went to the washroom.

Sif spent much of the time in the room, talking to Elenoin when Elenoin wanted to talk, saying nothing at other times. She brought Elenoin's meals to the room, and then made sure that they were eaten and the medication was taken.

It was sometime after sunset, the red just beginning to fade from the darkening sky. Elenoin was sitting up in her bed as she was feeling better. Sif knelt on the bed behind her, combing Elenoin's hair out. "How did you meet Anthony?" Elenoin asked. Sif had told her much of the man over the day, but not how they had met.

"He was visiting Otosama," Sif told her. "When I saw him, I knew he was the one. Master, I mean Anthony, had had a Fatima before, Corina, but she had died in battle," Sif said sadly. When she had first met Anthony she had realised how sad he had been over the death of Corina.

"He was already settled by then," she continued. "Wife, house, position with the Trio Temple Knights, everything really. In an odd way it was disappointing." Sif sounded a little confused for a moment. "I guess I had hoped for, for..."

"For what?"

"Adventure perhaps." Sif shook her head. "But what does that matter. We were companions in battle often enough."

"You know, for more than ten years now I've felt something was missing," Elenoin said softly. She wanted to talk to someone. She had wanted to talk to Dr. Isben, to confide in him, but she had been afraid. "It started soon after my kasan's(mother) death."

"Tousan, well whatever he might have been when he married her, was a very harsh man, but kasan was always able to keep him from directing that at us. I think if she had lived she could have made sure all her children grew up well."

"Only Nathan, my older brother, and myself were headliners, Oto, the youngest, was not. Tousan gave all his attention to Nathan. Male, Headliner, he was tousan's heir."

"Was your tousan a Headliner?" Sif asked as she worked a table out of Elenoin's hair.

"No, he was a warrior consigned to be no more than a soldier. It made him angry. I still don't know why he married kasan. Perhaps just for her money. I think he might have wanted to live vicariously through Nathan.

"After kasan's death both Nathan and Oto became more," she paused as she thought about it, "cold, I guess you could say. Tousan pushed them hard. He did not think much of me and left me alone for the most part. I was a Headliner, but female. I don't know where he picked up such antiquated ideas.

"When Nathan died he began to hate me. I was just a daughter he had never wanted. He made Oto his heir, but Oto was not a Headliner. He once accused me of stealing that from his important child. He took it out on me, refusing to let me act like a knight. He banned me from training, wasted my time with lessons that were supposed to make a me a good wife for someone." Elenoin shook her head.

"He died in with Queen Almemaios, and I left. Here I am," Elenoin finished, skipping the most important part of her story, the part she really wanted to talk about.

"Why did Tristan rape you?" Sif asked.

Elenoin almost bolted, but Sif's firm, gentle hands on her shoulders kept her in place. Her body began to tremble. She felt Sif move closer to her. At first she shied away from the contact but then she relaxed into the Fatima's arms.

"How did you know?" Elenoin asked in a quiet voice.

"The information you have on counsellors and help lines was one clue. You also talked while you were delirious. Please tell me this Master. I think this will help you."

"Tristan was a friend of Nathan's. He showed interest in me, courted me. By just going along with that kept my tousan from bothering me. I guess I was always a bit too much the coquette with Tristan, putting him off, playing with him. I knew what sort of man he was, or I thought I did. I never dreamed he would do what he did," she sobbed suddenly.

Sif moved around, hugging Elenoin, running her hand along the girl's back, offering comfort.

Elenoin told Sif what had happened, sometimes her sobs stopping her from talking for several minutes. When she finally finished she was exhausted, wrung out, and somehow relieved. Now it was no longer hers alone. She had shared the pain, and in doing so lessened it. She knew, no matter what, that her Fatima would not judge her.

"Master," Sif whispered, feeling completely at a loss. What could she do to help Elenoin, to help with a hurt that seemed so vast she could not comprehend it? "As long as I live no one will ever hurt you again," she said with a surprisingly fierce determination.

Elenoin listened to the words, finding comfort in them, If anyone else had said them to her they would have sounded trite, empty, but Sif, her Fatima had said them. That made the difference.

Later Elenoin fell into an exhausted sleep. Sif stood by the windows of the room, looking out, seeing nothing. She wondered what she would be doing if her emotions were not so tightly controlled by the mind control. For the first time in her life she truly hated someone.

Elenoin's sleep, while trouble by nightmares, was restful for the most part. The next morning she awoke feeling restless. Sif kept her in the bed with games of Go and Gin, and a few others that could be played while Elenoin remained in the bed.

Finally, when the sun was beginning to set, Elenoin threw the covers off herself and got out of bed.

"I'm tired of being coddled like a child, this room is beginning to drive me nuts," she told Sif.

"But Master, you need your rest."

"I don't want rest, I want to do something." She turned to look hard at Sif. "Other than loosing to you constantly at Gin. You cheat don't you," Elenoin accused.

"Master," Sif said, looking properly scandalised for a moment before laughing.

"Okay, so that's unlikely. Sif, I want to get out of here."

Sif shook her head and tossed her cards onto the bed. "The computer said you should have three to four days bed rest, but it also predicted you would not make it past two. Would you like to go for a walk?" She slipped off the bed.

"That would be wonderful," Elenoin told her, feeling a bit of relief. She had not been sure what she might have done had Sif refused. She was not sure how she would handle a Fatima that gave orders.

"Well, why don't you clean up and get dressed." Sif went to the wardrobe and opened it. "I'll take care of a few other things while you get ready."

"You know, you telling me what to do is more than a little annoying," Elenoin told her, deciding it might be best to get the Fatima - Master relationship back on line.

"I'm sorry Master," Sif said, eyes downcast.

"Well, it's not that important," Elenoin told her, feeling a little guilty.

"Good." Sif smiled. "Now be a good girl and get dressed." She laughed as she quickly left the room.

"Oh yes," Elenoin shook her head, "I got this relationship back on line."

Sif returned to the room twenty minutes later. Elenoin had dressed in the same clothes she had worn for the dinner a few nights before and was waiting to go.

"Let's go." She said to Sif, walking towards the door.

Sif stepped aside so Elenoin could exit then followed right behind her, ready to catch her if she might be weaker than she was letting on.

"Be careful of the stairs," Sif warned.

"Yes kasan," Elenoin said irritably as she shook her head and started down the stairs.

"Well, you should be careful."

"Sif, I am quite capable..." Elenoin had looked over her shoulder to speak to the Fatima and was not looking where she was placing her feet. As a result she slipped and would have fallen if not for Sif.

"What was that Master?" Sif asked, pulling Elenoin up.

"Shut up," Elenoin mumbled, freeing herself from Sif's grasp and continuing down the stairs, looking where she put her feet.

The dark cloud over Elenoin lifted once she got out in the garden, walking beside Sif. The soft light of the garden spotlights showed the landscape to good effect. Elenoin thought the unkempt look was charming, having no idea that the effect was due to neglect rather than planning.

They made a strange pair. Sif was nearly half a head taller than Elenoin and looked the more mature. Elenoin's hair was much darker, but her skin was a shade lighter than Sif's skin tone.

Within the shadowy places in the garden, where form was obscured slightly, they might have been mistaken for mother and daughter, or younger and older sister. If someone was told they were looking at a

Headliner and her Fatima they might have very well mistaken who was who in that relationship.

Elenoin began to feel a little tired. She wondered if more bed rest might have actually been a good idea. She was having trouble dealing with her weakness--it seemed so extreme for just an infection. There was also the beating and other things as well as the surgery, Elenoin thought. Small wonder she felt tired. Well, it would pass soon enough.

Sif offered her arm to the young woman. Elenoin took it and the support. She had thought she was hiding it better. She wondered if Sif was going to take her back to the house? Until she was better she had little doubt who was in charge in their relationship. They did not head back towards the house though, but circled around it, heading down a gentle slope.

Soon after starting down the steepest part of the slope Elenoin saw something large looming up ahead of her. She thought it might be another structure, a second house, or a barn, or something. As she got close she realised it was a Mortarhead dory.

Sif led her to the rear of the huge vehicle and then unlocked and opened one of the side doors. She leapt into it.

"Here." She offered her hand to Elenoin.

She took the Fatima's hand and let Sif pull her into the vehicle.

"Close your eyes for a moment," Sif warned as she reached out to turn on the lights.

Elenoin could feel the bright light through her closed eyelids. She opened them slowly, after the darkness outside it was almost blinding. She blinked her eyes twice and then looked up at the Mortarhead resting in the dory.

It was big, but that was only an initial impression. Actually, for a Mortarhead, it was about average size, and there was something about its structure that made it look female.

The white paint with purple trim marked it as part of the Trio Temple Knights. She could just make out part of a crest on the front, right armour skirt. She recognised it as the same crest that was inlaid in the tiles of the entry hall.

"It's beautiful," Elenoin said. She moved closer and placed her hand upon the armour of the lower leg.

"It's a Bandersnatch, Morrigan."

"Bandersnatch? I'm not familiar with that model." She looked back at Sif.

"Only three were ever made."

"That might explain it." Elenoin looked up at the Mortarhead. "The armour placement, and the legs are standard but the upper body and hip joints don't quite seem to fit with a standard model."

"You noticed?" Sif came up beside her.

"I had the basic skill in the math's and sciences needed to become a Meister and kasan made sure I got the training, but it did not come easily, like fighting did. I just wasn't willing to put the work into it." Elenoin blushed as she said it, trying not to look at Sif. She still remembered how disappointed her mother had looked when she had told her that she was not going to continue with the studies.

"I see," Sif said, sounding impressed.

"Anyway, I still remember things and this Mortarhead seems odd, no offence," she addressed the Mortarhead directly.

"I was told it was built as a light recon unit that could also handle front line combat."

"Pardon?" Elenoin turned her attention on Sif, wondering if she had heard right.

"It was a failure of course. They tried to cut weight with a smaller engine and a lighter frame."

"No wonder it failed."

"Mas... Anthony's jiisama(grandfather) purchased one as scrap. He was a Meister for Trio de Colus, very good, as I understand it. He made Morrigan into a test bed for his work, totally rebuilding it in the process."

"The overall design speaks of speed," Elenoin looked up at it, "well armoured, bigger engine now?"

"Yes," Sif said.

"Hit and run tactics right? Use speed to your advantage, go in hard, move out fast?"

"Exactly." Sif looked quite happy.

"Morrigan." Elenoin looked up at it. "Why did you want me to see this, not that I'm complaining?"

"Morrigan is yours Master."

"Mine?" She turned to face the Fatima. "You can't give me this mortarhead."

"I can't, but Anthony can." Sif reached into her jacket and removed several sheets of paper. She held them out towards Elenoin.

"What are these?" Elenoin took the paper from Sif.

"Part of Anthony's will, concerning Morrigan."

Elenoin walked over to the Mortarhead's leg and leaned against it. She read through the will, and quickly realised what Sif had been talking about. Anthony Xanados had left the Mortarhead Morrigan, a custom Bandersnatch experimental model, to whoever Verdun Fatima 17, Sif, chose as her Master after his death.

While such arrangements were exceedingly rare, they were not unheard of and Cluster law recognised such claims. Elenoin had heard something similar concerning the Mortarhead Vashu.

She continued to read and found out the dory, its contents, and a sizeable fund for repairs in case Morrigan had been damaged during his death, were hers as well. There was a rider on it, one the Elenoin had fully expected. If Sif were to die up to a fifty years after she had chosen her new Master and Morrigan survived, the Mortarhead became part of Anthony Xanados' estate once more.

Elenoin began to laugh as she folded the paper up. She leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling of the dory's cargo bay.

"Master?" Sif asked, a little concerned.

"I'm all right. Life is just funny."

"Funny?"

"Tousan did all he could to ensure I would never become a true Knight. And only, what? It can't be more than two weeks, two weeks after his death, I have a Fatima and a Mortarhead. He would not be pleased." She laughed for a while longer then became sober once more. "No, he would not be pleased."

"And you Master?"

"I don't know what to feel." She pushed herself from the Mortarhead's leg and walked towards Sif, holding the papers out towards her. "I like to think kasan would be proud."

"I'm sure she would Master." Sif took the papers from her and returned them to her jacket.

"Let's go, I'm feeling tired." Elenoin pushed the hatch of the dory, her dory, open and jumped to the ground and started up the hill. Sif followed after locking the door.

Elenoin almost fell several times as she climbed up the hill and in the end Sif had to carry her.

"Sif," Elenoin said into the Fatima's shoulder.

"Yes Master."

"I want to leave tomorrow. We'll cross Ballankka into Millan, there's a spaceport there."

"Why don't we just go to Jarth Master?"

"It doesn't feel right," Elenoin said softly.

"Why not?" Sif asked, but Elenoin did not answer. She was asleep.

* * *

Morning came too early for Elenoin when Sif woke her with breakfast. Sif made sure the meal was eaten and the medication taken then left to prepare for their Journey.

Elenoin was still half-asleep as she went into the bathroom to take a hot bath. When she left the bathroom almost an hour later she felt more awake, but still tired.

Opening the wardrobe Elenoin found that the clothing that had been there the night before was gone. It had been replaced with a number of new outfits. She looked though the clothing seeing all of it was made from the best materials and in excellent condition. She wondered where Sif had found it all.

She chose a pair of tan pants, a white blouse with a high collar and the one coat, which was black. She noticed that the coat seemed heavy and on further examination discovered her spadd in an inside pocket. The other side of the coat had been counter balanced with a matched weight so it would hang right.

Placing the coat on over her bathrobe she reached into the pocket and drew the spadd, noting how easy it came out. She put the spadd back into place and took the jacket off. It was then that she noticed the rose vine embroidery in dark red thread on the collars.

It was too perfect a match of the design on her spadd for it to be coincidence. She checked the clothes she had chosen, then those in the wardrobe. All showed signs of having been altered recently, in some cases very much so.

There was not a lot of clothing in the wardrobe, but still, it must have taken many hours to get it all altered. Elenoin wondered if Sif had slept since she had come to the house.

She got dressed quickly but still took time to make sure everything was on right. If Sif had gone to so much trouble for her it was the least she could do to look presentable.

After dressing she found a duffel bag in the back of the wardrobe. She carefully packed the clothing and the rest of her possessions away and then headed out of the room.

Sif met her coming up the stairs.

"Master. I found these for you." Sif held up a pair of ankle high boots of black leather. "I think they should fit."

"You are a miracle worker Sif." Elenoin smiled. "I'm beginning to feel presentable once more." She started down the stairs towards the front door.

"We could still go to Jarth," Sif said as she walked down the stairs beside Elenoin.

"No, no we can't. Trust me."

"If you say Master." Sif sighed.

"Why so intent on Jarth." Elenoin took the boots from Sif and walked to the door to put them on.

"We could get help there."

"You mean I could get help there." She stood up in the boots. "Perfect fit. Thank you."

"You could."

"I know, but I'm scared Sif. What will happen to me in that city? I'm the daughter of an enemy. I can't take the chance."

"There's no need to fear."

"Sif, please drop it," Elenoin almost begged.

"Of course Master," Sif said quietly.

"So, are we ready to leave?"

"I just have to lock the front door."

"Then let's go." Elenoin opened the door and stepped out. The Dory had been moved from where it had been the night before and was now less than a hundred meters down the drive.

"Master, may I have a few moments?" Sif asked as she locked the door.

"Pardon?"

"I'd like to pay my respects."

"Of course. Do you mind if I come with you?"

"No, please do."

"Thank you." Elenoin followed after Sif.

They circled around the house towards the part of the garden where the graves were.

"Where did these clothes come from?" Elenoin asked after a moment to break the silence.

"They were Genavie's, mostly things she had kept from when she had been younger. I remember she once said she should get rid of it all but they were too fine to just throw away and she was sure that they would be useful one day."

"Thank you, it must have been a lot of trouble to alter all of them."

"Not really." Sif smiled.

As they approached the graves Elenoin hung back as Sif approached.

"I didn't want to believe you when you said I would find someone else." Sif knelt by the grave. "But you were always wiser than me Master," she said softly. "I think you would have liked Elenoin, she reminds me of you in some ways." Sif removed her spadd from the carrier by her side and placed it on the grave. "I'll return this to you. Thank you."

Elenoin came up and knelt beside Sif. She looked at the graves for a moment.

"Accept my thanks for your kindness." She bowed her head. "I think I would have liked to meet you. Please forgive me for being forward." Elenoin reached forward and picked up the spadd from the grave. "Sif, never return the gift of someone who cares for you." She held it out towards the Fatima. "I'd never ask you to forget him."

"Thank you Master." Sif reached forward and took the spadd from her.

"Don't mention it, now let's go." Elenoin straightened and headed back the way they had come.

Sif stayed for a moment, looking at the grave. "A lot like you," she whispered as she got to her feet and ran after Elenoin to catch up.

It did not take long to reach the boarder of Ballankka, though crossing over took some time. Elenoin wanted to avoid official notice if possible, still worried about what might happen. Fortunately there were a number of Mortarhead dories in the area and it was easy to go unnoticed.

* * *

After two days they crossed the boarder into Millan, once again avoiding any official notice.

The dory control cabin was low slung on the vehicle. Elenoin stood by the windows, looking out at the terrain as it passed by quickly. Riding so close to road surface made the speed seem greater. She watched the other vehicles, noticing more than one occupant of a digg shook an angry fist in her direction. The dory displaced a huge amount of air as it sped along and other vehicles were thrown about by it. She could not blame them for being mad but was not about to slow her speed.

"Master, are you listening to me?" Sif asked, perhaps even sounding a little cross.

"Morrigan's armour offers adequate protection all around. The armour is concentrated on the front chest region and the armoured skirt panels that protect the front and back of the upper legs. The armour on the left arm has been placed oddly so it does not offer as much protection as that on the right." Elenoin did not turn away from the windows.

"Oh," Sif said, a little surprised . She guessed that Elenoin had been paying attention.

Elenoin turned away from the windows and walked to the centre of the cabin and to the map table there. She looked down at it, running her finger along the screen, tracing out the road they were on. The dory was getting direct feed from a satellite above them. She could even make out the faint images of vehicles.

She had a strong feeling, the same feeling that had sent her moving away from the spaceport near Jarth and had eventually led her to Sif.

"I want to go to this town, 'Clainpol'." Elenoin placed her finger on the town marker off to the south of their present course.

"Clainpol?" Sif walked over to the map. "That will add nearly two hundred kilometres to our trip."

"I know. I want to go there."

"Master, I thought you wanted to avoid cities and towns." Sif was a little confused by Elenoin's decision. She reached out to place her hand on the girl's forehead, wondering if she was feverish.

"I'm all right," Elenoin told her, stepping back from the hand. "I just want to go there."

"All right Master. I'll set the course."

"Thank you." Elenoin turned and walked back to the window.

She was not sure why she wanted to go there, there was no reason, it had just occurred to her. After going out of her way to avoid any contact with large groups of people her behaviour seemed odd even to herself.

Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and for a moment thought she saw a woman, leaning against the wall of the cabin, tapping a spadd against her thigh. She had been smiling. The vision was gone by the time she had fully focused her attention on the area.

"Mama?" Elenoin whispered, wondering if she was having a relapse. Maybe she was not. She wondered what there was at Clainpol that her mother might think was important to her.

* * *

Clainpol was a small village surrounded by farms. Elenoin doubted that it held more than a thousand people, if that.

"Dories," Sif said, pointing to the bulky carriers on the far side of the village. "Three, no markings I can see."

"Mercenaries I guess," Elenoin said. "I'm going to take a walk." Elenoin walked towards the door that led out of the control cabin and onto the dory's bow ram plate.

"Master, let me come with you."

Elenoin looked back at Sif. The Fatima looked worried. "Get your cloak," she told her.

A minute later they were both walking away from the dory along a dusty road, towards the village. Sif's cloak covered her completely, only her shoes and some of her socks were visible. Elenoin had opened her coat, it was to almost too warm for the garment. She was wearing a pair of loose black pants and a white T-shirt that left her stomach bare.

"What are you looking for Master?"

"What makes you think I'm looking for anything?"

"Why else come here?"

"Maybe I just wanted to stretch my legs."

The village seemed deserted; there were very few people in the streets. Elenoin and Sif generated some interest in the people on the street, but not too much. Elenoin did notice that they received some second looks.

She saw a large building; the sign hanging above the door proclaimed it to be a tavern.

"Come." Elenoin moved into the shadow of one of the buildings, stepping into the mouth of an alley. "Wait here," she told Sif.

"Where are you going?" Sif asked as Elenoin set off.

"Maybe to get a drink," Elenoin told her as she walked towards the tavern.

The door opened noiselessly and Elenoin stepped into a dark hallway. She could hear the sounds of voices coming from a doorway a little distance down the hall. She guessed it was the common room. It was not what she wanted.

At the end of the hall was a set of stairs. She climbed them, moving silently. The second floor was well lit, bright with windows and skylights. It was more open than the first floor and plants filled the room.

At the top of the stairs was a desk. Behind it a young man sat, or, more to the point, slept. Elenoin moved by him, making sure not to wake him.

She could hear the soft murmur of voices and she moved towards them. As she got closer the voices became clearer; she recognised one. Tristan.

Her spadd was out, her thumb caressing the trigger plate. That was when she heard raised voices from the street below. A scream that was cut off. Sif.

The conversation stopped for a moment, then continued on, not concerned by the increased noise from outside. Elenoin had already launched herself from the window by then.

She landed softly. In front of her were two men. One turned to look back towards her, and Elenoin recognised him as one of Tristan's trackers. He opened his mouth; maybe he was planning on shouting a warning, or just asking her a question. Whatever it was he was cut off as Elenoin's Spadd blade passed through his chest. The second man she cut down as she sprinted by him.

Sif stood in the middle of a group of men. The men were Tristan's trackers and some of the servants. The hood of Sif's cloak had been pulled back. The men around her were all taller than Elenoin so she was not exactly sure what was going on, but she could hear their voices. The word 'doll' was said in the same tone the word 'slut' had been when she had been raped.

Elenoin came up fast, she lashed out with her right leg, putting her hips into the action, driving her right knee into the base of one man's spine. There was a crunching sound. Even as he began to scream Elenoin had pushed him aside with her free hand.

Spinning, she put her back up against Sif's.

"Kill them," she ordered.

Sif's spadd was suddenly in her hand as if by magic.

Headliner and Fatima spun about, keeping their backs together, their spadd blades cutting through flesh and bone and weapons. Two of the trackers had spadds of their own. One never has the chance to use it. The other had his blade batted aside by Sif and then his head removed from his shoulders by Elenoin.

To those on the street who watched it was like they were seeing one creature fight, or that the Headliner and Fatima were telepathically linked.

Elenoin leapt towards the tavern, there were more of Tristan's people coming toward her, reaching for weapons. She slid through them, her blade lashing out about her. She stopped at the door and turned around, looking at what she had done. None of the men were standing.

She looked up towards the second floor.

"Master!" Sif called. The village that had seemed so deserted a moment before was beginning to get crowded as people came from the buildings.

Elenoin looked around, several of the people looked ready to do violence—as stupid as that would be. None of them were part of Tristan's entourage. She felt no anger towards them.

"Let's go," Elenoin told Sif, setting off at a run towards where she had left the dory. She had just murdered a number of people. Perhaps it had even been the right thing to do. It did not sit easy with her, however.

Sif was a step behind Elenoin. Even if anyone in the village had been willing to stop them they could not have. The two were running full out, covering hundreds of metres in a matter of seconds.

* * *

Tristan looked down at the remains of what had once been one of his servants. A spadd had split the man from crown to crotch. He reached out, grabbing one of the villagers to pull him close.

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"A Knight and a Fatima," The man gulped, trying not to look at the split body but failing.

"Symbols, did they wear any symbols?"

"I, I did not see any." The man's face paled.

Tristan pushed him violently away. As the man was noisily sick behind him, Tristan examined the body once more. If it would not be such a sign of weakness he might have shown some discomfort at the site. All of his trackers and most of his servants were dead.

The question 'who' was burning in his mind. Someone from Hagooda? From the Trio de Colus? One of those F.E.M.C types he had heard were in Colus? No, none of those made any sense, he thought. As much as it galled him to admit it he, Calin and Dennis were all minor players, no ones really. Headliners of no real import.

He had been very minor nobility in Hagooda, but too minor for anyone to consider him worth coming after. He had managed to arrange a position in Millan and he could not see anyone willing to anger the country for someone as insignificant to the power games as he.

"Tristan-san, we need to talk." Calin walked up to him.

"About what?" Tristan asked, wondering if Calin was about to end their alliance.

"The Knight and the Fatima, I managed to get descriptions from some of the more coherent people here."

"And?"

"The Knight, she sounds a little like your Elenoin."

"Impossible, she's dead."

"Your tracker never came back. She is a Headliner after all. You may have underestimated her." Calin stressed the 'you'.

"I may have, a little. Did any of these people say where they went?"

"See that cloud of dust." Calin pointed off to the west.

"Yes."

"Dory, they have a two minute lead on us so far."

"Dennis, stop throwing up and come on," Tristan yelled, about to run off. He was stopped by Calin who had grabbed his shoulder. "What?" he yelled, turning to face the other man.

"Why bother going after her? She has a dory, she might have a mortarhead and she has a Fatima with her." Calin knew exactly what his abilities were.

"There are three of us."

"That might not make a difference."

"Her Otousan, we never found his money. She may have it, or know where it is."

"You didn't think that before."

"So I underestimated her yet again," Tristan almost screamed. "Even if she only has access to a fraction of his money it will enough to make us rich beyond our dreams."

"I have big dreams."

"Are you coming?"

"Yes."

"Good. Dennis-kun, let's go," He shouted as he ran off to where they had parked their Dory's. Calin was only a few steps behind him. Dennis was following, though not quite as quickly.

* * *

Elenoin sat on the floor of the control cabin, her knees drawn up, head resting on them, arms wrapped around her head. She felt sick, tired, a headache was pounding behind her eyes. She was obviously not as well as she had thought.

"Master, are you all right?" Sif knelt beside her, placing her hands on Elenoin's back.

"Just a little overwhelmed." Elenoin straightened slowly and pulled her coat off.

"Who were those people back there?"

"They worked for Tristan. They..." The rest was lost in a sob. Elenoin placed her head in her hands. When Sif hugged her she almost hit the roof. It was only with a great deal of self-control she managed to keep herself still.

Sif held Elenoin tight, giving her what comfort she could. She wondered if her Master would ever be able to get over what had happened to her. Withdrawn as she was it was as if she was a butterfly with crippled wings. It tore Sif apart every time she saw Elenoin pull away from any sort of physical contact.

The dory continued on, following the road at the speed Sif had set. Elenoin remained curled up on the floor, softly sobbing. Sif held her.

"Hello Elenoin, I assume you are in the dory I'm following," a voice came from the speaker near the map table. "I'm piping this through the GPS satellite you are using, it will keep our conversation fairly private. Of course if this is not Elenoin Karimon I'd like to know who you are."

Sif did not recognise the voice but from the way Elenoin tensed and began to shake she guessed that it must be Tristan.

"That is a fast little dory you have acquired. I doubt I could even match your present speed for a few seconds, let alone maintain it for any period of time."

"My guess is that you're heading for the spaceport. If you continue at that speed, and I don't doubt you could push even more speed out of that beast, you'll arrive there at least thirty to forty minutes before I do. If you are willing to desert that dory you could be off the planet in about five to ten minutes. Keep the dory, spend enough money, you could be gone in about thirty to fifty minutes." His voice was calm, smooth, and almost melodic. Elenoin could do nothing more than sob. Sif stared at the speaker, wondering what sort of monster was on the other end of that communication.

"Of course, even if I arrive before you leave, what can I do? Unload my Helmine attack you? No, violence just won't work will it? Of course I can always just call the authorities and tell them that a minor is attempting to leave the planet without a legal guardian. That will no doubt stop you effectively. Maybe you will be sent back to Hagooda. Maybe I can get custody of you, being a family friend."

Elenoin began to whimper.

"Oh, you might tell them that ridiculous story that I raped you, but who would believe that without witness."

His words effect on Elenoin were like a spark in a volatile gas. She was on her feet, throwing Sif off, her whole body trembled but no longer with fear but barely constrained rage.

Her steps were short, stiff, as if she feared taking longer steps might cost her her control.

She slapped radio controls on the table, setting the com system to transmit as well as receive. "I will kill you Tristan." Her words were short, curt, sharp.

"Ah, so it is you Elenoin," Tristan said, his tone unconcerned. "Are you well these days?"

"Get your Helmine ready, bring your friends, oh definitely bring your friends. I'll be waiting for you." Elenoin turned the radio off.

She took a deep breath, almost sobbing again. She placed her hands on her face, then began to wipe at her eyes.

"Master?" Sif moved close to her.

"I'll be all right," Elenoin said, wondering if her words sounded as false to Sif as they did to her.

"I know," Sif told her. "Here." She held out a handkerchief.

"Thank you Sif." Elenoin took the handkerchief and wiped at her eyes. "Do you think I'm wrong in wanting to fight?"

"We don't have a choice Master."

"You know we do." She turned her attention to the map board. "We could run back to Ballankka, we'd be safe there. They would not trust the likes of Tristan." She shook her head. "I want to kill him."

Sif lay a hand on Elenoin's shoulder. Elenoin flinched away, barely in control of herself. She did not say anything. Behind them was the man who had hurt her Master. If Elenoin wanted him dead, so did she.

Elenoin looked at the map. She took a light stylus from the side of the side of the map board. After circling the map she tapped a few keys. The circled area filled the screen.

"We'll stop just after we cross the river, here." She placed her finger on the map. "Get Morrigan out, set up away from the dory."

"They will be about twenty minutes behind us by that time," Sif said.

"It will give us some time to set up. If they are smart they'll stick together, search us out. If they do that we will have to hit and run, use Morrigan to his best advantage."

"If they split up we fight them one at a time?"

"Is Morrigan up to that?"

"Against a Helmine? Yes. Anything else will depend on the pilot."

"Are you taking the decrease in piloting efficiency into account?"

"No Master. I can't be sure how that will effect us."

"I guess we will just have to deal with it." Elenoin shook her head.

* * *

The dory moved slowly off the road. Its passage pushed over several small trees and uprooted a number of smaller plants. It stopped a moment before it would have started crashing through thicker growth. It then settled down on its effect fields and sunk several centimetres into the soft ground.

Sif shut the dory down, activating the anti-theft system by habit then headed back to the hangar bay.

She leapt up, landing on the lower arm, then leapt again to stand outside the cockpit in the chest.

"Are you ready Master?"

"Yes," Elenoin said as she began to pack away the tools. "Start the engines up please."

Sif nodded then began climbing up the chest toward the head where her cockpit was. She stopped and looked down.

"Master?"

"Yes." Elenoin looked up at her Fatima.

"Be careful," Sif said, then continued climbing.

"I will be."

Sif nodded and leapt up to her cockpit.

Elenoin turned her attention back to the tool kit and finished packing it away. Once done she leaned into the cockpit and secured the kit to the floor. She pushed herself back out and looked into the cockpit, at her handiwork.

It was a well-known fact that the Headliner cockpits in Mortarheads were custom built for a single pilot. It was an equally well-known fact that the entire cockpit assembly had to rebuilt for a new Headliner. Five years apprenticeship to a Meister had taught her that there was a difference between well-known facts and the truth.

Minor modifications could be made to a Headliner control unit in a few minutes if needed. It was quite possible for a headliner of similar build to use the control unit with such minor modifications and only suffer a one or two percent loss in piloting efficiency.

Unfortunately Anthony Xanados had been a very large man and no simple or minor modifications were going to help her.

She had pulled most of the unit out, taken a saws and torches to it and then worked on putting them back in. The work had kept her busy during the trip and given her something to do when she could not sleep. Combat was not what she had been expecting though, walking it into a repair cradle was.

She looked at the mess of jury-rigged control systems, straps, and padding. If she was lucky she would only have a thirty percent drop in piloting efficiency. Unfortunately the computer simulations were projecting forty.

Getting into the unit took some doing. After a minute she was uncomfortably enclosed in the cockpit. The chest hatch swung close, metal banged on metal and the locking bolts slid into place.

She had to stretch to toggle on the intercom switch.

"Are we ready Sif?" she asked.

"Yes Master. He's a bit nervous."

"He's not the only one," Elenoin said with a soft laugh.

"Don't worry Master, we are both with you."

"Good to hear. Open the doors Sif. Let's go."

"Yes Master." Sif tapped the controls and the huge doors of dory began to swing back. The fingers of her left hand moved so fast that they were a blur as she brought Morrigan's power levels up. She stopped and turned the intercom off. "Morrigan, please, protect her, she needs us." She turned the intercom back on. "Ready to go Master."

Elenoin nodded, time to head out she thought. The Mortarhead placed its hands down on the floor of the hangar. It pushed itself up slightly, the huge right leg slid out, settling on the ground. The left followed. It pushed with its hands, then straightened, standing at the rear of the dory.

Morrigan was eighteen meters tall, though a slimmer design than other Mortarheads of the same height. Elenoin had altered the colour pattern of the ruthenium polymers that covered the surface of the Mortarhead. It was a uniform dark grey, no markings, and no trim.

"Increase power, prepare flight units," Elenoin ordered.

"Flight units at ninety five, six, eight, one hundred percent," Sif told her.

The Mortarhead flexed its knees and then leapt, taking to the air, climbing several hundred meters. For a moment it hung in the sky, then it began to descend. Elenoin directed the controlled fall, heading towards the jungle. The landing was a little hard. Until that moment Elenoin had never piloted a Mortarhead, just practised in simulators.

"Any damage?" Elenoin asked, worried she had hurt the Mortarhead.

"None Master."

"Good. Activate the chameleon field." The Mortarhead knelt down beneath the jungle canopy.

Sensors on the outer surface read the area around the unit then an electric charge ran through the polymers on the unit's surface. The colour change was almost instant. Morrigan completely blended into the jungle, becoming nearly invisible.

Elenoin had never seen ruthenium polymers used in such a way before. It had surprised her. She had wondered why such a system was not used with all Mortarheads until she had read the specs.

The sensor system and polymers could not keep up fully if the mortarhead was to move, and the camouflage value decreased quite a bit. It was also very expensive. Too expensive really but such a system worked for Morrigan. The polymers were resilient but the constant colour changes required in moving lead to their break down in a much shorter time than if they were used sparingly.

"We are ready Master," Sif told her.

"Lower power levels, we'll hide for as long as possible."

"I understand." Sif set Morrigan to run quiet.

* * *

The three Helmines climbed from their respective dories, fanning out along the road.

"Now what?" Dennis asked as his dark green Helmine walked towards the fourth dory. "Looks like she has gone."

"She has to be close by," Tristan said, moving his lavender Mortarhead off the road and towards the jungle.

"Do you want to sweep the jungle looking for her?" Calin asked him. He was growing more dissatisfied with Tristan's plan by the minute.

"That is exactly what I plan Calin-san," Tristan said icily.

"We should stay together then."

"Extended line, three hundred meters between each unit," Tristan ordered. "We'll flush her out."

"Three hundred meters in Jungle?" Dennis sounded concerned. "Isn't that a bit to much."

"Don't worry about it Dennis-kun." Tristan laughed. "The prey we hunt will not put up much of a fight." Tristan's tone sounded assured. "We don't even know if that dory held a mortarhead."

"There are a set of deep feet impressions behind it," Calin told him.

"Be quiet," Tristan snapped. "Let's go." His Helmine headed into the jungle.

Calin considered abandoning the man. He knew that Dennis would follow his lead. They could both leave Tristan to his own fight. He did not though. Tristan might be a fool at times but he knew the right people and was their best chance at a comfortable position somewhere. He might kill them but he might also make them wealthy.

Calin would take his chances.

Calin's black and red checked Helmine started off, following behind Tristan's. Dennis was close behind.

* * *

Elenoin felt her breathing speed up as one of the Helmines closed on her. She was monitoring the communication between the units--Sif had broken the encryption without much problem. She had yet to be discovered. The one closing on her--piloted by Dennis she knew from the communications--had not reported anything wrong.

She had picked her hiding spot well. It was a shallow valley, a bowl, really. With the distance between the three Helmines the other two would not see Dennis. She had heard the one called Calin tell him to be careful and if he saw anything to wait until they all got there.

He came closer, the footfalls of his Mortarhead shaking the ground. Sif tracked him with Morrigan's seismic sensors, waiting for him to close. She fed the information to Elenoin.

"Begin to power up, I want the flame hand ready as soon as he gets in range."

"He might detect the power surge," Sif warned.

"Any other options?"

"I can have him up to full power and the flame hand ready in .625 seconds."

"Can the system handle that?"

"It will be hard on him, and we will have to replace a few circuit breakers no doubt, but we will be all right."

"Okay, when I give the word."

"Yes Master."

Elenoin watched the screen as the distance between the two Mortarheads diminished. The seismic sensors were quite precise. He would pass ten meters to the right of Morrigan. If she did nothing he would probably never know she was there.

He was the young, nervous looking man in Tristan's company. She remembered he had tried to leave when Tristan ordered everyone else to take part in her rape. Tristan had not let him and he had done as he was told. Part of her could not blame him, but it was only a small part. The rest of her remembered his weight on her as he thrust into her.

She wished she had some water, her mouth was dry. She swallowed twice to moisten her throat. The counter came close to zero.

"Now," Elenoin yelled.

Dennis had little warning. The power surge was picked up by his sensors but only seconds before everything happened. He looked around and suddenly it was as if a piece of the jungle had launched itself at him. He yelled as much over the radio as he tried to move back.

Separated from its camouflaging backdrop Morrigan's true nature became evident and he realised he had found the Mortarhead he and the others were searching for.

He moved back as fast as he could, the huge hand of his Helmine reaching for its beam saber. He just did not have the necessary power to complete the manoeuvres in time. The Etrimi in the head of his Helmine could not keep up.

Morrigan's right hand lashed out. The skeletal looking hand, the pointed fingers heated by the Mortarhead's powerful engine, tore through the armour on the Helmine's chest, sinking deep into the unit. Sif increased the power going to the arm and shoulder, giving Elenoin the strength and speed she needed to complete the manoeuvre.

She had aimed directly for the chest cockpit and had hit the hatch dead on. Once the entire hand was deep in the Helmine she closed the fingers and stepped back, pulling the hand from the Mortarhead. The Helmine slumped back and was only kept from falling by the thick canopy of the jungle that supported it.

Morrigan's hand opened, burning remains of the control cockpit and organic material flew into the jungle.

"Flight systems," Elenoin yelled, launching the Mortarhead into the air. Sif did not disappoint her and they rose a hundred and thirty meters into the air. She marked the location of the two remaining Helmines as she came down, several hundred meters from her last location.

"Initiate teleport sequence, put us right behind the one to the south. Five hundred and thirty meters from our present location, north, thirty five degrees, six minutes north east," Elenoin called out.

"Master, a teleport..."

"I know, just do it."

"Yes Master," Sif said as she prepared Morrigan for the jump, bringing the ezlaser engine up to full power.

* * *

"It can fly," Calin said over the radio, watching the Mortarhead disappear into the jungle.

"I noticed." Tristan had to fight to keep from screaming. "Get to me, we'll stand together."

"Dennis is dead you know?"

"All the more reason for us to fight it together."

Calin considered just leaving, hoping Elenoin might be happy with Tristan. Then he remembered what he had seen in her eyes as he had helped to rape her.

Together they had little chance but separated no chance at all.

* * *

Elenoin had once heard a teleport described to her. The reality, she realised, was indescribable. For a moment, for an eternity, she was no where, completely separated from time and space. She could feel Morrigan and Sif, they were the sum total of her universe. She could feel the power that surged through the mortarhead and it was like a song in her veins.

Coming out into the jungle was a relief and a regret at the same time. She did not have time for the feelings though. Calin's Helmine was forty meters in front of her, its back to her, moving off.

* * *

In Calin's cockpit the proximity alarm went off the same time the alarm warning him of a spatial disturbance.

"She can teleport Tristan," Calin yelled as he spun the Mortarhead about, drawing its huge beam saber. He sent his Helmine charging towards the mortarhead that had appeared behind him, crashing through the jungle. He had to take the fight to it as fast as possible, hope Elenoin had been disorientated by the teleport.

* * *

Elenoin raised Morrigan's left arm, pointing it at the charging Helmine. A seam in the armour on the bottom of the unit's arm split then grew wider, opening up like the bay of a bomber. From within the arm a long tube, part of the skeleton, swung out, locking into place, an extension of the arm.

From the barrel of the throwlance generator a hail of miniature beam sabers flew towards the Helmine.

Calin threw his Mortarhead to the side, avoiding the first attack. Elenoin corrected her aim, led the Helmine and fired again. Most hit the chest of the opposing Mortarhead. It went over hard, crashing onto the jungle floor. It did not move.

"No power readings from it Master," Sif told her.

Elenoin said nothing. The throwlance generator swung back, locking back into place, once again part of the skeleton. The armour folded back into place. Elenoin had to give Anthony's grandfather credit. It was an effective design. The surprise factor was also of great use.

"Get me on his channel," Elenoin said quietly.

"Done Master."

"Tristan, I'm coming for you," she said quietly

Several hundred meters away Tristan was running his Helmine towards open ground. He was too hampered in the jungle and he would need space to move.

Elenoin followed, Morrigan's walk covered nearly five meters per stride and she soon saw the Helmine over the canopy of the trees. It was near the road, out in the open. Morrigan's hand dropped down to the armoured skirts, closing on one of the beam sabers. She pulled it from the clamp and the weapon's blade sprang forth.

The Helmine also had its beam saber ready.

"Master, the throwlancer is still functional," Sif called, wondering why Elenoin was preparing for close combat.

Elenoin did not answer.

_The grass was still wet with morning dew. The sun had only just begun to chase away the chill of morning. The spadd in her hand felt heavy. A sheen of perspiration covered her forehead._

_Across from her Nathan stood, spadd ready, smiling at her._

_He is going to kill me Elenoin suddenly realised. He is really going to kill me._

_He slid his foot forward then began to run. Elenoin charged towards him, igniting her spadd._

_Even as she closed she realised the futility of it all. He had the advantage of reach and strength. They were equally skilled but in time she would fall. It had always been like that. Of course the other times they had duelled with spadds set on stun._

_He raised his weapon above his head, classic cut. If she was willing to die she could take him with her as the strike left him defenceless._

_She did not want to die though._

Sif watched as the Helmine closed, the sword raised above its head, classic cut she realised.

"Master, if we take to the air we can come down behind it." She said.

Elenoin did not respond and Morrigan rose its weapon to block.

_As her weapon went up for the block Elenoin wondered what the point was. She would block his weapon, step through, then cut down at his lower leg. He would respond, driving his blade down to block. Then they would turn, set to strike again. They could repeat those moves many, many times until one of them moved a little too slow. Not that they would, classic cuts were a good way to start off but things would get a little more impromptu shortly._

_The blades connected, Elenoin could feel a tremor run through the spadd. Something occurred to her. The classic cuts had been devised long ago, when fighting had been done with true swords of folded, sharpened steel. The spadd was not a sword in that sense. Why fight with it like it was?_

When the beam saber's blade went out Sif's hands flew across controls, thinking that there was a problem with the power, that the contact with another saber had overloaded something. Then she realised that Elenoin had simply turned it off.

_Her spadd's blade winked out. Nathan's blade, already deflected, would not be a concern for a few milliseconds. She drove the spadd down so it was pressed against Nathan's stomach. It was easy since she was not hampered by the blade. Without the blade to catch his attention Nathan was not aware of what was happening right away. Elenoin noticed his eyes go wide, he had realised what was happening._

Sif could not believe what she was seeing. It was incredible. She managed to guess what was going to happen in just enough time for her to increase the beam saber's power.

_Elenoin touched the trigger plate. The blade leapt out, cutting up through Nathan's stomach, through his heart and out the back of his neck._

_She held onto the spadd as Nathan fell forward onto her. She stepped to the side so he could fall. The energy blade cut through him, almost completely separating his head and shoulders from the rest of his body._

Sif looked down at the destroyed Helmine. The chest was cut open and the cockpit had been cut directly in half by the blade. She could see the remains of Tristan, a few of them at least. No doubt the blade had vaporised most of his body.

"Master?" She said softly.

"I killed him," Elenoin whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

"Yes Master."

"He would have killed me. I know that, but I let myself be convinced that I had murdered him."

"Master?" Sif was beginning to worry again.

"No more," Elenoin said, coming back to herself. "Let's go Sif, we're done here."

"Yes Master." Sif relaxed.

It did not take long to load the Morrigan into the dory. As they drove off along the road Elenoin opened the door of the control cabin and leaned out, looking back at the destruction. She could see Tristan's Helmine, lying on the ground near the river. A plume of smoke was raising from the jungle. She wondered which battle it was from.

Elenoin pulled herself back into the cabin and shut the door.

"Master." Sif came into the cabin.

"Yes." Elenoin turned to face her.

"Anthony had a little ritual for after battle." She held up a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes." Elenoin smiled. "I think that would be nice."

Sif took a seat on the floor and placed the glasses by her side. Elenoin walked over and took a seat across from her. The Fatima removed a folding utility knife from the inside of her jacket. She held it up for Elenoin to see then unfolded a corkscrew.

"Clever." Elenoin laughed.

"It also has a toothpick." Sif laughed with her as she put the corkscrew to the cork. A few seconds later she pulled the cork from the bottle.

"It's a very good wine," Sif told Elenoin as she filled the glasses.

"I'm sure it is." Elenoin picked up one of the glasses. "To old traditions," she suggested.

"I'd rather look to the future." Sif did not look at Elenoin but stared down at her lap.

"To happiness of the past and happiness of the future," Elenoin offered, her tone sad. She was not quite sure she really had anything to drink to.

"To happiness of the past and future." Sif raised her glass.

The crystal goblets rang out as they brought the bells of their glasses together.

* * *

Epilogue

Mikkon landing field was an incredibly busy piece of land. It saw a large number of heavy cargo ships. It was a rough place, loaders moved cargo off ships and onto transports and then off transports and onto cargo ships.

Not the fancy spaceport one found near capital cities but a place of commerce. It was not likely that anyone would be too picky about her ID, not if enough money was involved.

Since so much commerce was done on premises it had its own merchant bank. It was one of the reasons Elenoin had chosen it.

The teller was a thin, gawky man who had been acting a little stunned since Elenoin had placed three bearer bonds on the counter.

"This is a very large transaction you realise," he told her.

"They're the smallest I have," she told him.

"I don't want to know that." He shook his head.

"Okay, give me half in hard currency, the other half in a credit account. That is just as good as money here right?"

"Yes Ojousan(miss), but..."

"Please."

"Just a minute." His tone made it evident he had given up trying to talk sense into Elenoin. He went off towards the office in the back. Elenoin noticed some of the other tellers talking, probably about her. She should have expected that, driving up in a dory, walking into the bank, and slapping the bearer bonds down. Not bright for maintaining a low profile.

The teller came back a few minutes later.

"Here you go Ojousan." He placed a valise down on the counter. "And this is the credit account." He placed a card down beside it.

"Thank you." Elenoin picked up the valise and looked through the bundles of currency. "Can I keep this?" She held up the valise.

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you."

"Your receipt." He held out a slip of paper.

"Right." She took it and the card then turned and walked towards the exit.

She moved over to the far side of the doorway as a few other people came in, careful not to get too close.

Sif waited by the dory for Elenoin. A number of people were examining the dory, walking around it. Even in her robe Sif was still attracting attention.

"I'm going to arrange for transport," She told the Fatima as she approached. "Wait here."

"Are you sure Master?"

"Don't worry about me." Elenoin started off. She stopped, looking back. She noticed a number of the men were looking Sif over. She doubted that they would do anything but she had become sensitive to looks like that.

"Sif," Elenoin called back. "If anyone bothers you, kill them." Her tone was flat.

She noticed people beginning to move off with a number of nervous looks. It was as if she had just armed an explosive. In a way, she had.

As she walked towards one of the warehouses Elenoin almost expected to catch sight of a woman, leaning against one of the buildings, tapping a spadd against her upper leg. That she did not was not really a surprise. She had killed Tristan.

It took her a few hours to find someone she was willing to trust. The first two captains she was told to see stuck her as being untrustworthy. After that she stopped asking and just looked around. She finally found a woman who she decided she could trust. She had heard Captain Janis' name used respectfully during her walk around the port.

Arranging things took a bit of time. The Captain asked a lot of questions. In the end payment was agreed upon, credit was transferred and both women went off to complete their other pre-flight tasks.

Sif stood high upon the dory. She had been watching Elenoin since she had left. Every time her Master went out if sight her heart would beat a little faster and when she came back into sight she could relax. Finally Elenoin was walking back towards her.

"I got us a ride Sif," Elenoin called up to the Fatima.

Sif leapt down, gracefully landing beside Elenoin.

"I also arranged for full supplies for the dory. They should be coming in about an hour. In two hours we load the dory onto the transport."

"Where are we going Master?"

"Addler. That's Captain Janis' next stop."

"Addler is nice."

"There's a house there, near the equator, it was mother's, mine now. Two stories, a few hundred meters from the beach, the grounds are beautiful, so mother told me. It probably will need a little repair but I think it will be a nice place."

"It sounds wonderful."

"I hope. Anyway, even after using the credit account liberally I still have more than enough for dinner." Elenoin held the card up. "The restaurant on site is not five star, but it has private dining rooms. Hungry?"

"Yes." Sif smiled.

"Let's go, I've already ensured that security will keep people from messing with the dory."

* * *

Elenoin's scream startled Sif. The Fatima sat up in the narrow bed, the covers sliding off her. She reached over and hit the switch for the lights.

The cabin they shared was small, as were all the cabins on the cargo ship. Elenoin had retired to it as soon as the ship had left Juno's orbit.

Elenoin had pushed herself into the corner of her bed, her back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. Tears ran from her eyes, which were wide with fright.

"Master?" Sif slid from the bed.

"Why won't they go away?" Elenoin cried softly.

"Who?" Sif moved slowly, taking a seat on the bed.

"All of them. I killed them. Why can't they leave me alone?"

"It's just a dream Master."

Elenoin wiped the tears from her cheeks and uncurled herself from the corner of the bed.

"Yes, a dream," Elenoin said.

"Will you be all right?"

"Sif." Elenoin slid to one side of the bed. "Stay with me?" It was not a request. It was not an order. She was begging.

The Fatima slid into the bed with her master. Elenoin shied away from the contact at first, then she seemed to collapse into Sif's arms. She held onto the Fatima as if she were a lifeline.

It took a long time before Elenoin was able to sleep again and even then Sif remained awake, holding her Master, keeping her safe.


End file.
